The Age of Apocalypse: Alternate Reality
by King of the Worthless
Summary: The tyrant Apocalypse has sent an agent back in time to murder Professor Xavier. With the timeline changed, Apocalypse now rules a world were humans are near exctinction, and now Magneto and his allies must keep Xavier's dream alive, at all costs.
1. The Darkholme Brotherhood

Alright, alright. For the first time in a long time, the disclaimer is here to do its job. I don't own X-Men: Evolution. THERE. I DID IT. YOU HAPPY NOW?! Alright, alright. This is a little... different than my usual stuff. So pardon me if it's no good... or better yet, send me $50,000 so I can transfer to a good college and take some writing classes...

...yes... transfer...

...Oh, and excuse the grammar.

Humankind has ruled the planet Earth for as long as it has existed. All of the creatures on this planet have their own special adaptation. Some can fly, some can swim, some can crawl, some can climb. Some have claws, some have teeth, some have horns, some have spines. Humanity was given the greatest gift of all; intelligence. As the most intelligent creatures on the planet, humans are capable of sentience, reason, and even logic.

Humankind has used this intelligence to adapt to their environment ever since the first tools were invented. Humans were able to suit themselves to any environment on the planet, and eventually, they spread to all corners of the Earth. From this, different variations of humanity appeared. Early in their history, when these different races encountered each other, they were met with mutual curiosity, and their differences led to hatred, and eventual suffering.

Centuries have passed, and since that time of prejudice, the various kinds of humans have settled their differences, and now coexist. In the time it took for these races to unite, new technology rose beyond the early tools, and allowed humanity to take a different approach to adaptation. Rather than change themselves to suit their environment, humanity began to change the environment to suit themselves. Because of this, internal change had come to a near halt. Humanity stopped evolving.

But then, their evolution gene was awakened. It remains unclear why this happened, only that it did. Known as the X-Factor Gene, partially named after Professor Charles Xavier, an X-Factor Positive researcher who had studied the gene for years, this new twist on humanity advanced itself to the point of giving some humans extraordinary, even dangerous powers. Recipients of the X-Factor Gene are often referred to as "mutants," and the so-called "normal" humans have come to hate and fear these mutants and their powers.

All that change, however, with the awakening of the long-dormant mutant En Sabah Nur, or as he would come to be known, Apocalypse.

As Professor Xavier and his former associate, Erik Lehnsherr, recruited mutants to their causes, Apocalypse likewise did. Years after he had destroyed both the X-Men and Magneto, Apocalypse realized that his bouts with them had severely weakened him. He employed the aid of a mutant, whose name has never been revealed, to travel into the past and alter history.

This time-traveling mutant slipped through time to a period before Xavier and Magneto parted ways, when neither had fully developed their radically different philosophies, and the only thing that was known was that mutants did, indeed, exist. Erik quickly dispatched the assassin by driving a metal pin through his heart, but not before the assassin had fired. Erik had tried to stop the bullet that raced towards his friend's head, but he was met with one great misfortune: the bullet was not made of metal. Though the impact of the bullet did not kill Xavier instantly, he fell into a coma, and died six weeks after the time-traveler had appeared.

It was then that Erik looked through Xavier's old logs, hoping to salvage what he could of Xavier's research before it was all taken away by the state, as Xavier had no heir and had made no will. Erik discovered that Xavier had believed that mutants and humans should coexist peacefully, though he had never fully discussed the issue with him. Though Erik secretly believed that humans would come to hate mutantkind, he thought it was best to honor the memory of his good friend by doing everything he could to make sure that humans and mutants lived side-by-side, burying his doubts inside and hoping that Xavier would not be proven wrong.

Erik founded the Xavier Institute for Mutant Research, after his old friend, and began to recruit mutants to his cause. They would come to be known as the X-Men.

The time-traveler's movements sent ripples through time, altering certain events and affecting the lives of many people.

Raven Darkholme, a shape-shifting woman and friend of Erik, thought Xavier's philosophy to be nonsense, but she decided she would rather stay out of the conflict. With the time and reality altered, her son Kurt was never taken from her, and she went on to give birth to another girl, who she named Marie. She later adopted two other children, who had both faced ridicule due to their mutations.

This, of course, came at a time when mutants were scarce. For reasons unknown, the altering of time had somehow caused many more mutants to appear. Within a short time, humanity became the minority. Leading the human resistance against the "oppression" of mutants was General Trask, a man who fought for the preservation of the "true" human race.

At about the same time Magneto established the Xavier Institute, he was approached by a man named Jack Logan, who had escaped from a laboratory in Canada where scientists had planned to graft adamantium to his skeleton. Called Wolverine by Magneto, he joined the X-Men for a short time. His ideals conflicted heavily with Magneto's, as Logan believed that if mutants were going to destroy humanity, they should likely be hunted down to keep them from "whining so fucking much," as Logan put it. Wolverine soon left the X-Men, taking several students with him, forming a new team which his recruits nicknamed X-Force.

With the world changed, it took Apocalypse less time to find suitable minions to free him. Apocalypse would soon come to rule the Earth with an iron fist.

However, there was one last chance to turn back time. The nameless time-traveler, in this time only a teenager discovering his powers, has yet to be reached by Apocalypse…

On a tall, snow-covered mountain, four figures stood. The heavy wind blew against them, but in an instant, the wind was gone. The clouds, however, remained. The dark-skinned, light-haired woman born Ororo Monroe waved her hands, and light rain poured down the mountain. In an alternate reality, she was known as Storm. Here, she was known as War. She wore a skin-tight black bodysuit, but her hair still flowed free. As a sign of her affiliation, she had a black line tattooed on her right eye.

With the rain flowing down the side of the mountain, the surface became muddy. A second figure waved his hands, and the muddy rocks fell loose, creating a dangerous mudslide. This second man was the tall, dark-haired man once known as Lance Alvers, also known as Avalanche for a brief time, was now called Famine. Like Storm, he wore a black bodysuit, though his hair was trimmed short in an almost military style. Avalanche also had the black line tattooed on his right eye.

The third man, not quite old enough to be considered a man, projected a blue-white beam of energy that covered the tumbling rocks in a thick later of ice, drastically increasing their size. Robert Drake, recruited before he could adopt the name Iceman, was no longer human in appearance, now covered in a permanent layer of frost. Similar in appearance to his allies, his black suit and tattoo could be seen through the frost, as well as his complete lack of hair. In this form, Iceman was known as Pestilence.

The fourth figure, the leader of the Horsemen, watched as the icy rocks rolled down the mountain and into a small village, plowing through the buildings and crushing whatever villagers were unfortunate enough to be caught in its path. The fourth man had medium blue skin and jet black hair, but wore the same features as his comrades. There was on notable distinction, one that signified his leadership role. Growing from his back were two silver wings, appearing as shiny angel wings composed of tiny metallic feathers. This man was once Warren Worthington, the Angel. Now he was an Archangel, the Horseman of Death.

He turned to the others, and nodded. Archangel spread his wings and flew down into the village. Storm gathered a whirlwind that carried the others behind him.

X-Men: Evolution

"The Age of Apocalypse"

King of the Worthless

Chapter One - The Darkholme Brotherhood

Magneto stood on the observation balcony of the Danger Room at the Xavier Institute in New Zealand, watching his young recruits battle against mechanical weapons. This was just one of the many ideas he found in Charles Xavier's logs. Magneto wore no helmet, showing his neatly combed hair instead. Magneto had designed his armored costume before Xavier's death, and so he wore it, the only exception being the helmet.

In the Danger Room itself, the blonde-haired boy scout Alex Summers, better known as Havok, fired a pair of orange beams at a missile launcher and destroyed it. Magneto had rescued Alex from an orphanage at a later age, and Alex regarded Magneto as something of a father. Alex's powers allowed him to fire energy in omnidirectional waves or as a single blast aimed at a specific target. Alex's hair was kept short and neat, like Magneto's. Because Alex's powers were difficult to control, he wore an inhibitor belt that helped him control his wild powers.

A single missile escaped Havok's blast. Jean Grey, codenamed Converse, "caught" the missile in midair and re-directed it towards the wall. Jean was every bit as beautiful as our version, though that was the only real similarity. Jean had nobody to guide her telepathic abilities, and as such, they were underdeveloped and seemed to appear at random. This caused Jean much confusion and forced her to become reclusive and deeply paranoid. Her telekinetic abilities were fairly strong, and she was slowly gaining confidence from her boyfriend, a fellow member of the X-Men. Her red hair was tied into one long ponytail that reach down to her back. Because of the time-distortion, was not born to the Grey family, but was instead adopted. Her true parents remained elsewhere. As soon as the missile hit the wall, a new missile launcher appeared from another trapdoor. It fired four small missiles, which were blocked by Freddy Dukes, known as Stalwart. With mutants revealed earlier than in our time, Freddy's size problem was more easily understood, and he faced less ridicule. As a result, he was a more educated individual. His dedication to his training as a member of the X-Men improved his large physique, making him more built and less… well, less Blob. Having gained self-confidence, he was able to achieve the one thing that our version could not: he had won the heart of Jean Grey.

A mechanical arm appeared from the floor, attempting to grab Havok, and his beams appeared useless. Luckily for him, Kate Pryde, Ariel, phased through the arm and shorted it. Kate had grown up in Northbrook, Illinois, and had befriended Lance Alvers at an early age. When Lance became cold and emotionless, Kate became suspicious. When Lance tried to kill her, Kate became afraid. When Kate's mutant powers manifested soon afterward, she became paranoid. Kate could not get over the shock of seeing her childhood friend turn into an emotionless killer, and came to Magneto for help. Kate was not as involved with the X-Men, but hoped that she could overcome her emotional difficulties. Kate's hair was the same length and style, though she didn't wear a ponytail, appearing much like our Kitty.

The session had entered a second level. Several laser beams spread across the Danger Room like a series of red webs. Wanda Lehnsherr, the Scarlet Witch, waved her hands in the air, and the laser projectors burst into flames, one by one. Wanda had jet-black, shoulder-length hair and wore a strange silver frame around her face. She wore a standard X-Men uniform, only she wore a cape behind her, signifying her role as Magneto's right-hand-agent and field leader. Wanda had been raised by Magneto to believe in Xavier's ideals and dedicated herself to the X-Men more than anyone else. Having been the first recruit, she also had the most experience of any team member.

"They work so well together," Magneto said to Forge. Forge was the team's inventor and had designed all of the Institute's high-tech equipment, including the Danger Room. Forge was an older man with a black mustache, having narrowly avoided being absorbed into a pocket dimension he created in his youth. Forge had lost his left arm and both legs during a battle with Wolverine, shortly before X-Force was formed. Forge wore mechanical prosthetics, his own design of course, but this only added to his uselessness in battle. As a result, Forge mainly worked behind-the-scenes with Magneto.

"Yes…" Forge replied with some worry in his tone. "Magnus, what about the report from Tibet?"

"Tibet?" Magneto turned to Forge with a look of concern. "You mean?"

"Yes… do you think it was them?"

"I'm almost sure of it. Any survivors?"

"If there are any, they haven't been found. I'm worried, Magnus."

"As am I." Magneto turned to the Danger Room. "X-Men! We will continue the session at a later time. I want you all to meet me in the conference room."

-------------------------------

Magneto sat at the head of a large, metal table. Most everything at the Institute was made of metal; Magneto found it more convenient to rearrange things with his power than through physical strength.

"There's been a disaster in Tibet," Magneto announced. "I want you to investigate the site. Any survivors would be valuable to us as witnesses."

"What happened?" Jean asked.

"I'm not quite sure. The coordinates have been programmed into the Blackbird." Magneto was reluctant to reveal details about the incident.

"We'll get right to it," Wanda said. "X-Men, move out!"

-------------------------------

The Blackbird landed in a clearing near the small village in Tibet. Freddy exited first, being the least vulnerable of the team, to make sure it was safe. Freddy signaled back to them, and the others followed.

"Oh, man," Alex remarked. "This is terrible."

"Tell me about it," Kate said. "It's like a graveyard…" There were no buildings left standing, only bits and pieces, thrown about. There were bodies everywhere, all bloody, some not completely whole. "Who could've done this?"

"Someone sick," Freddy said. He noticed something embedded into an old man's back. "Hey guys, check this out."

"What is it?" Jean knelt down to inspect it. "It's… a feather?"

"Looks metal to me."

"A metal feather?" Jean wasn't sure what to make of the strange evidence.

"We'd better radio Magneto," Wanda said. "Magneto, this is Scarlet Witch. We have news."

"Please, tell me," Magneto said over Wanda's small radio.

"Stalwart found a metal feather stuck into a man's back. Ariel found chunks of ice, but otherwise, we have no real evidence."

"I see…" Magneto paused. "Resume your search. It's important that we find a survivor."

"Yes, sir. Scarlet Witch out."

"Ew… the ice… it's… some guy!"

"What?" Wanda took a closer look. It looked as if an ice sculpture of a man had been shattered. "This is just too weird…"

"A little freaky," Jean said.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," Freddy said with a cheesy grin.

"My hero!" Jean replied in an equally cheesy manner.

"Hey! I found someone!" Alex yelled. They all rushed to one of the many collapsed houses. A woman sat up against what was left of a wall, her face covered by a cloak, but clearly soaked in blood. In her arms she held a small bundle of blankets close to her.

"Lady? Are you alright?" Wanda asked. She lifted the cloak just enough to see the woman's face. If she had one.

"Oh my God…" Somehow, her face had been sliced clean off. Wanda backed away from the woman. Freddy took a closer look, being the only one with the stomach to get near her.

"Looks like someone used a pretty sharp knife… couldn't have been a saw or anything like that. Like a big razor." Freddy then looked down at the blankets. "Oh man… I hope they didn't …"

Freddy carefully unwrapped the blankets. Inside he found a baby. The little boy was scared, but at the very least, he was alive.

"The baby's alive!" Freddy took the little boy into his arms. "Looks like he's okay."

"I'm glad the baby's fine," Alex said, "But I don't think he's going to give us much information."

"Well, he DID say 'any survivors,' so the boy will have to do."

"Right," Wanda said. "Alright, X-Men. We'll split up and do a quick search to see if we missed anything. We'll meet back at the Blackbird."

-------------------------------

Magneto walked through the main hall of the Xavier Institute with Forge. A metal orb followed them through the well-lit metal hall.

"There's no doubt. This is Apocalypse's doing."

"What's he up to, though?" Forge asked. "Apocalypse isn't into mass slaughter."

"You've obviously never met him."

"So he's big on blood?"

"Not so. There wasn't a single mutant in that village. Apocalypse's agents only kill humans."

"He's wiping them out, then?"

"It would seem so." Magneto pulled the orb towards him. A blue bulb on the side lit up and produced a blue hologram of the planet, covered in red and green dots. "The mutant population is now dominant. Humans became the minority in a few short decades."

"Magneto, sir, we have news," Wanda said over the radio, which was also built into the metal orb.

"What did you find?"

"A baby."

"A baby? No other survivors?"

"Not a single one. It's pretty dead here."

"I see… bring the child here."

"Yes, sir."

"Are you crazy?" Forge yelled. "We can't bring a baby here! How are we supposed to care for a little kid when we've got all these war machines built into the walls?"

"We're not going to do anything. I know someone who owes me a favor. She will take care of the child for us."

-------------------------------

The Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House in upper New York was quiet that evening, with one small exception. Raven Darkholme, called Mystique by many, stood on the roof, meeting with a visitor.

"You're crazy!" she yelled. Her young charges heard her arguing with Magneto from inside the house. They had nothing else to do, so they gathered in front of the television to watch a game show.

"Who's she talking to?" Rogue asked. No longer the gothic young girl we came to know, Rogue had grown up with an actual mother and a sort of family. Though they were adopted, Marie Darkholme thought of her adopted family as real brothers. Rogue's skin was a light tan color and her brown, white-streaked hair grew to about her mid-back. Rogue had no control over her abilities, but decided not to cover herself so much. Most people knew she was a mutant, and if they touched her, it was their fault.

"Magneto again," Kurt Darkholme replied. Kurt, oddly enough, had not mutated. While he had developed his teleporting abilities, Kurt was completely normal in appearane, with one exception. He kept his face clean-shaven, but his facial hair was the blue hue we're all familiar with. His hair was naturally blue, but he dyed it black not to look normal, but because he liked black. In fact, Kurt wore nothing but black.

A long, sticky tongue with a silver stud on the end snagged some popcorn from the bowl on the coffee table. Todd Darkholme munched it happily, then hopped onto the couch next to Kurt. "Sup, bro." Todd, or as he called himself, Toad was still thin and strange-looking, though he was fairly built despite his light frame. He had a spiky green Mohawk, a nose ring, an eyebrow ring and several earrings. Toad had a strange arrogance to him, like he felt himself smarter than anyone else. In most other aspects, Toad seemed to have low self-esteem.

"Hi, Todd."

"Hey, call me Toad."

"Sure, Todd," Scott Darkholme said. Scott had lived in an orphanage until Mystique adopted him when he was ten. Scott had survived the same plane crash as his brother Alex, only he was unaware that his brother had survived at the time. Scott's powers manifested fairly late, and he had yet to learn to control them, so he wore a special pair of glasses. Black framed with metal iris-shutters on each eye, with a layer of Ruby-Quartz on the inner side to keep his beams in check. A button on the side opened the shutters to produce two clear beams. Scott had slightly long hair, rather unkempt and running down to his shoulders, not too unlike our version of Lance. His face was covered with stubble and he wore a black leather jacket with a pair of jeans. "So what's mom up to with Magneto?"

"Can't tell," Toad said. "His voice is too low for me to hear. Mom… well, you can hear her here, so that ain't a problem."

"Magnus, I've settled down. I'd like to raise my family in peace."

"Your family," Magneto said. "Have you forgotten that three of them were sought by Apocalypse's agents as potential servants?" Mystique had nothing to say to this. "His followers are growing in numbers. You will not be safe here for long."

"Look Magnus, I will do what it takes to protect my children, but if it means risking their lives, then what is the point?"

"You can watch them be slaughtered for their disloyalty to Apocalypse, or you can watch them die fighting for their freedom." Mystique was at a loss for words. She looked away from Magneto to the city beyond the boarding house. It was once a nice, quiet neighborhood, but it had become filthy and unsafe. All sorts of mutant thugs ran the streets. Magneto was right. They were loyal to Apocalypse, or at least to someone who was loyal to him.

"Let's get one thing straight. My children are not X-Men, only temporary allies."

Magneto smiled.

Who is this mysterious baby, and more importantly, why was he spared? All will be revealed!


	2. XForce and Beast

Ah, so you've come back for more?! FOOLS! You bring this torture onto yourselves! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... Oh, and excuse the grammar.  
  
  
  
Chapter Two - X-Force and Beast  
  
Wolverine, the man called Logan, sniffed the air carefully. He motioned to his team to stop. They all crouched on the battle-scarred ground.  
  
Wolverine and X-Force moved through a recently-destroyed city in the northern United States. Wolverine motioned for his team to hide behind large chunks of concrete that littered the ground. Three tanks treaded along the wreckage a mile away from them.  
  
"They're coming. Stay sharp. Cannonball, I'm gonna need your power, so stay ready."  
  
"You sure it's them?" Pietro Lehnsherr asked. Pietro, known as Quicksilver by his teammates, had developed a grudge against his father Magneto, though he never told anyone exactly why. Pietro kept his silver hair swept back, though his super-speed almost ensured that it stayed that way. The first member of X-Force, Pietro was Wolverine's recognized right-hand-man.  
  
"Yeah. Humans don't have a pleasant smell."  
  
"As long as you're sure."  
  
"Cannonball, now!" Sam Guthrie, a young man wearing thick protective armor with a helmet that covered his entire face, flew out of his hiding spot in a blast of blue energy at high-speed. He hit the lead tank head-first with such force that it left a large cratered dent on the front and even warped the main cannon. Humans dressed in fatigues began to climb out of the tank. Before any shots could be fired, Cannonball took one of them out with a jet-powered tackle.   
  
"Now! CHARGE!" Wolverine commanded. One of Wolverine's other loyal recruits, a young black-and-red-eyed man named Remy LeBeau, took three metal pins from his coat, lining them between his knuckles much like Wolverine's claws, and charged them with explosive power. He flung the hot pins at the second tank and dodged some of the flying wreckage. Gambit was joined by Pietro, who followed the bombing by running between the tanks and kicking up tons of soot from the city's wreckage. Blinded the human soldiers decided to fire in every direction. Only two mutants on the field were able to use a sense other than their sight to find they way around. The first was Wolverine, the second was Rahne Sinclair, Wolfsbane. In full wolf-form she jumped on a soldier's back and pushed him to the ground, biting at the back of his neck. Wolverine preferred a quicker but no less vicious method. Extending three bony claws from his knuckles, Wolverine grinned sadistically before jamming them into a second soldier's chest.  
  
"What about the guys inside the other tank?" Pietro asked.  
  
"Get 'em out here." Gambit set a charged pin down on the hatch of the third tank and let it blow. Once it was open, Wolfsbane jumped in. The others waited as growls and screams echoed from the tank.  
  
"So what's up after this, you guys wanna get somethin' to eat?" Gambit asked. Wolfsbane pulled a bleeding soldier out of the hatch as Pietro dashed inside to get a second one out. He pushed him towards Wolverine, who caught him by the arm and helped him stand up properly. As soon as the soldier was steady, Wolverine showed him a full set of claws.  
  
"Alright, bub. Trask send you?"  
  
"What's it to you, mutant?" Already, Wolverine's patience had ended. Rather than confirm his suspicions, he decided he's just accept them as fact and stabbed the soldier.   
  
"Trask's on the move, then. Tanks were headed west, so we go west and see what we find."  
  
"West?" Pietro was hesitant.   
  
"West, kid. Got a problem?"  
  
"No… not at all…" Pietro looked away. Wolverine pressed a button his belt. Moments later, a small aircraft of some sort descended and hovered nearby. The side hatch opened and everyone climbed in. Wolverine closed the hatch behind him, and once everyone as seated and strapped in, made his way to the cockpit.  
  
"What did you find?" the pilot asked. This was Mastermind, a well-groomed older man wearing a military uniform. His hair was kept short, but not too short, and his face was kept clean and shaven. This did not obscure the fact that he was an unattractive man, but at least he appeared dignified. Mastermind could very easily make himself appear handsome, but for reasons unknown, he chose not to. Oddly, his irises seemed to have a permanent blue glow to them.  
  
"Trask's headed west."  
  
"West? Ah, then he is…?" Wolverine nodded. "I see… and Quicksilver?"  
  
"Doesn't looked to thrilled about it, but it's not too big a problem if he's willing to go along with it."  
  
"Good, good. His involvement in this matter is crucial."  
  
"I know that. Remember whose idea it was?"  
  
"Right. Then we'll just be heading west now."  
  
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Mystique walked through the doors of the Xavier Institute carrying two suitcases, followed by her four children, all carrying their own baggage. Though entirely metal and contained underground, the Xavier Institute was still a very clean and sterile place.  
  
"Quite a place," Scott said and set down his bags. He took a cigarette from his jacket and held it out in front of him. He pressed a button on his glasses and the right shutter opened slightly and released a needle-thin beam that lit the cigarette. "I could get used to living here."  
  
"No smoking," Wanda said. She waved her hand and Scott's cigarette went out. If his glasses hadn't obscured his expression, Wanda would've gotten the evil glare of her life.  
  
"With that exception, make yourselves at home," Magneto said. "But first, allow Wanda to show you around."  
  
"Tour, huh? I'm game," Todd said. Scott, Todd, Kurt and Rogue followed Wanda down the metal hall.  
  
"Not a bad piece of ass, either!" Kurt said. Todd and Scott laughed.  
  
"So tell me, Magnus," Mystique said to the white-haired mutant, "What do you have planned?"  
  
Further down the hall, Wanda showed the siblings around the dormitory chamber with seven doors. Due to the limited space, they would have to share a room with one other person. Alex sat up against the wall next to his door.  
  
"Bro," Alex said. Scott's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Bro. I didn't know you were here."  
  
"Well, I am. Hey, we just got our sleeping arrangements moved around. My room's free for another person. How about we catch up?"  
  
"Sorry, but no."  
  
"Hmmm… you two biological brothers?" Todd asked.  
  
"Yeah… biological. Don't worry, Toad. You and Kurt are still my main bros."  
  
"Anyone in this room?" Rogue asked. She pointed to the first door on the right.  
  
"Actually, that's my room," Wanda said, "But I don't have a roommate, so you can stay here if you'd like."  
  
"Sure, why not?" Rogue opened the door and threw her suitcase on the second bunk.  
  
"Okay, okay, I'm in this one then!" Kurt pointed to the one next to Rogue's. Freddy stepped out of the room and grinned.  
  
"Sorry, this room's all full. Me and Jean'll be sleeping here."  
  
"I see…" Freddy moved aside and Jean stepped out. "Ah, and who might this be?"  
  
"What do you care?"  
  
"I'm Kurt Darkholme! A pleasure to meet you!" Kurt took Jean's hand, bowed, and kissed it, ignoring Jean's expression.  
  
"Right… Todd?" Jean looked past Kurt to where Todd sat on his suitcase.   
  
"What the-?! Jean?! Aw, what th' hell's going on here?!"   
  
"Something going on?" Scott asked. "…Old girlfriend?"  
  
"Worse." Todd didn't finish before he opened a random door and hopped in. Inside, Kate Pryde screamed 'HEY!', but it seemed that the room was now Todd's home.  
  
"Okay then, I'll just take this room." Kurt walked past Alex and set his stuff down. Alex shrugged and stayed where he was. Scott opened another door and found that it was empty.  
  
"Hey, I call this one."  
  
"Sorry, Scott, that's your mom's room," Wanda told him. "She and my father each get a room to themselves."  
"Aw, really? Bummer. What's left?"  
  
"Well, Forge's room is still open." Scott opened the door, but there was nobody inside.  
  
"I guess I'll have to take it. Doesn't mean I'll like it."  
  
"So we're all set, then. Our first training session starts tonight at eight."  
  
"Eight? Aw, no good. The guys and I, we're going out tonight."  
  
"Sorry, Scott, but you'll have to stay here."  
  
"What the fuck?!" Scott protested. "Geez, you think just because you're Magneto's daughter you can push us around?! You know what? Fuck you and fuck your X-Men! I'm outta here!"  
  
"Scott, wait!" Scott ignored her and walked down the hall. He lit a cigarette in his own style and exhaled in Magneto's face as he walked towards the dormitory with Mystique.  
  
"Your son has an attitude problem."  
  
"I know." Mystique didn't bother going after Scott.   
  
"Wanda, go after him."  
  
"No," Mystique said. "Don't bother. I know Scott, and I know that you can't force him to do anything. Either he wants to or he doesn't."  
  
"Perhaps you should have been more stern in your discipline, Mystique."  
  
"Oh? And what about your son? Off on some reckless crusade with a group of mercenaries? Yes, I should've come to you for parental advice sooner." Magneto didn't respond. As Mystique walked down the hall, Magneto motioned for Wanda to follow Scott.  
  
"Oh, Mystique, there's one thing I should mention…" Forge walked up to Mystique carrying a baby in a blanket.  
  
"Oh no… not this! Anything but this!"  
  
"May I remind you that I helped saved your children from the Juggernaut, Mystique?"  
  
"I… argh! Alright! I'll take care of the baby, since I'm obviously the best parent in this building."  
  
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Scott rode his black motorcycle down one of the many abandoned streets in New Zealand. He had no real place to go, but he would rather wander around in an unknown place than be forced to take orders against his will. Though Scott was loyal to his family. he valued his independence more than anything.  
  
Scott glanced through his red glasses to his rear-view mirror. He noticed another motorcycle following him. He couldn't identify the rider through the helmet, but he could tell that it was female by her figure. He then realized who it was and accelerated.  
  
"Stubborn boy," Wanda muttered to herself and gave chase. Scott made a sharp and sudden turn into another street. Wanda rode right past him, but slowed down slightly. She looked to her right as she passed the next street and saw Scott riding by. She turned to follow him and sped up on the next street. Scott noticed her and stopped suddenly. Wanda sped past him before realizing that he had turned around and gone the other way. She cursed to herself and turned around to follow him.  
  
Scott reached into his jacket and took a smell metal pipe with a curved edge. He attached the curved end to his left lens and opened the shutter. His beam was channeled through the pipe to fire behind him. Wanda waved her hand to dissolve the beam before it struck her. The lens-pipe served as a sort of hindsight mirror for Scott and he had seen her move. He opened the shutter several times to release a volley of optic blasts firing back at Wanda like a miniature machine gun. A wave of her hand was enough to dissolve most of them, but there were too many for her to take one-by-one. Several came very close, but she was able to avoid the stray blasts with quick reflexes, but she was beginning to find it difficult to keep her bike in control as she swerved to avoid the blasts.   
  
Scott stopped firing and turned at the next street. Wanda started to follow, but halfway into her turn, she was hit head-on by a strong optic blast. She flew several feet off her bike, which crashed into a ruined building and exploded.  
  
"Stupid girl…" Scott had stopped in the street, and his trap had worked. He slipped his glasses back on and revved his bike.  
  
Slowly standing up, bruised but not seriously injured thanks to her leather-padded suit, Wanda pointed her fingers at Scott's bike, and the engine suddenly failed. The bike buckled and Scott fell off. Wanda released the bike and it rode off on its own.   
  
"Alright, you've got me now. What do you want?!"  
  
"Scott, we need you. You're a strong mutant."  
  
"Save it! You're as crazy as your old man!"  
  
"Where do you think you're going, Scott? Do you think you can find some other place around here that'll take you in? Maybe those glasses are giving you tunnel vision. Take a moment to look around you. There's nobody here! NOBODY! If you're not going to come back with me, then you're going to be all alone!"  
  
Scott swallowed his pride and helped Wanda up. "Alright, but I'm only doing this for my family. Got it?"  
  
"Yeah… I'll call for a ride." Wanda took a radio from her belt, but a random bolt of electricity shorted it. A young man clad in black stood behind them, his hand charged with electricity.  
  
"Berzerker," Wanda said. Berzerker's face had no emotion. He fired another bolt, which Scott destroyed with an optic blast.  
  
"You know this creep?"  
  
"Sort of… watch out. He never travels alone." A fireball nearly hit Scott's head, fired by a young, tanned girl also dressed in black. Magma fired three more, but they dissolved in the air thanks to Wanda's powers.  
  
"So if you've met these guys before, tell me, how'd you escape?"  
  
"My father was with us last time…"  
  
"But not today," a large, furry man informed them. The Beast was a gray, gorilla-like man with human features, wearing a pair of black pants. He motioned to Berzerker and Magma to hold their fire. "You're outnumbered."  
  
"Oh?" Wanda looked around. On top of a building, a completely black young man glowed with yellow energy. Across from him, on top of another building, a large metal man crossed his arms. They made no other movements.  
  
"You're coming with us," Beast said. He snapped his toes. Colossus and Sunspot jumped down, and together with Magma and Berzerker, closed in on them.  
  
  
  
What is Pietro so afraid of? What past connection do Toad and Jean have? Just what does Beast want with Scott and Wanda? Ah, more questions! MORE QUESTIONS?! MWAHAHAHA... wait I already did that. 


	3. Wolverine's Plan

So here we go, more Age of Apocalypse and some chocolate-caramel-cookie goodness... mmm... excuse me, I'm going to go get a Twix.  
  
  
  
  
I'm back. Oh, and excuse the grammar.  
  
  
  
Chapter Three - Wolverine's Plan  
  
"They've been gone too long," Forge said. He stood with Mystique and Magneto in the Danger Room control balcony as the X-Men and Mystique's Brotherhood trained. "Do you think?"  
  
"No. There is nobody around for a thousand miles," Magneto assured him.  
  
"Magnus, if my son is in any danger…"  
  
"Calm down, Mystique. He and Wanda can take care of themselves. If they haven't returned, it's only because their egos are clashing."  
  
"I hope you're right."  
  
"Your other children are well-trained. I had thought you had given them no instruction."  
  
"I'm not that bad a mother," Mystique gave the unnamed baby a bottle. She didn't seem very happy having to care for him. "They're smart kids. Most of what they know they learned themselves. After all, experience is the best teacher."  
  
Despite having such a non-confrontational mutant power, Rogue was doing exceptionally well. She dodged various laser beams with such nimble grace that her brother Todd felt upstaged. He kicked off a laser projector and slimed a razor launcher before it could even fire. He landed on top of it and flipped over to a large robot that grabbed him. Kurt teleported next to him and teleported away with his brother. Freddy pounded away at the robot with his fists, but the robot had a surprise in store. Its arms fell off the battered torso and collapsed into man-sized spider drones, each equipped with two missiles. Kurt teleported away when he saw one of the missiles flew towards him. As soon as he appeared, the missile's trajectory changed and it again headed for him.  
  
"Damn! Seekers!" Jean watched as Kurt teleported around the Danger Room evading the determined missile. She sighed in frustration and forced the missile to fly into a wall. Kurt appeared next to her in a puff of smoke.  
  
"Thanks, I owe you!"  
  
"Some fighter you are. How well would you have done if I hadn't saved your ass?!"  
  
"Whoa, settle down, honey," Freddy said. "Sorry about that."  
  
"It's alright!" Kurt turned around and found, to his annoyance, that a second missile was headed for him. He teleported away, but it didn't followed. The missile was headed for Jean. Freddy chuckled and stood in its path.  
  
"Nice to have a human wall covering you," Jean said.  
  
"What was all that about needing someone to save your ass?"  
  
"Oh, shut up."  
  
Freddy giggled and brushed off the pieces of metal attached to his suit. Kate ran right through him and Jean, and another missile hit Freddy.  
  
"Hey, mind asking first?"  
  
"Sorry," Kate said.  
  
"Just kidding you. What's a human wall for, huh?" Kate forced a chuckle, then ran from another missile. This time, it swerved away from Freddy and headed straight for Rogue.  
  
"Oh, hell no," Rogue hid behind a shorted robot, but the missile went around. She rolled away from it, then ran. Alex stepped in and fired his omni-directional energy waves. The missile, as well as several other weapons, were fried.  
  
"You alright?" Alex asked.  
  
"Yeah… thanks." Rogue smiled at him.  
  
"Aw, gimme a break," Jean said.  
  
"Session's over," Forge announced through a microphone. "Today's stats… most versatile fighter, Rogue. Strongest defensive maneuvers, Kurt. Strongest offensive maneuvers, Havok. Most agile, Rogue. Good Teammate Award goes to Stalwart. Worst Teammate Award, Havok… you gotta work on that buddy, get in there right away. Least agile, Stalwart… but that's no big deal, as usual, Weakest offensive maneuvers, Ariel, Weakest defensive maneuvers, Todd, least versatile fighter, Converse."  
  
"Aw, no recognition?" Todd asked.  
  
"Nope, gotta do better, Toad. Jean, you're slouching, better pick up the pace. Can't always rely on Freddy, you know."  
  
"Right." Jean rolled her eyes. Freddy giggled. A few minutes later, the guys and the girls split up to hit the showers. Though they were all separated by different stalls (as they had complained about privacy, especially the guys), they could all still talk.  
  
"That sister of yours," Alex started, "Is she…?"  
  
"Taken? No," Kurt replied. "But don't be so quick to move in."  
  
"Yeah, she likes to take it easy," Todd added. "If you want to get to know her better, go ahead… but we'll be watchin' you."  
  
"That we will. Gotta warn you, though…"  
  
"What, you'll both come after me if I hurt her? Don't worry, I won't."  
  
"Well, besides that. There's something about her I think Magneto forgot to mention."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Can't touch her."  
  
"Why not…?"  
  
"Touching her is like getting hit in the head with a pile of bricks," Freddy said. Freddy had done some research on the Brotherhood, though he knew Rogue's powers through experience; he had met them shortly after joining the X-Men, when Magneto had decided to introduce the two teams to each other. Alex hadn't joined at the time, but from what he knew, the teams didn't exactly get along. After time, they had mellowed out, and any past grudges and incidents, such as Rogue's absorption of Freddy, were forgiven and forgotten. "She takes your powers, too."  
  
"That's a shame. She's such a babe, too."  
  
"Hey, you're talking about our sister, you know!" Kurt yelled.  
  
"Er… sorry. But she is!"  
  
"Uh… Alex," Freddy said to him, "I don't think brothers really think of their sisters as babes. Except a few of my cousins, but I don't talk to them anyway."   
  
"Right… speaking of brothers, has anyone seen Scott?"  
  
"Not that he's your brother or anything," Todd said with a bit of a hiss, "But Scott likes to do his own thing. He's his own man. Can't keep him tied down."  
  
"When we grow up, we want to be just like big brother Scott!" Kurt said and then laughed with Todd. Alex tried to hide it, but he was hurt. He hadn't particularly done anything to his brother, but still, he had already found two others to take his role as little brother. Alex sighed quietly and continued scrubbing.  
  
In the girls' showers, Jean, Kate and Rogue carried their own conversation. Rogue found it difficult when one of them had an attitude problem and the other was insecure.  
  
"So Alex… he's not seeing anyone, is he?"  
  
"No," Kate answered dryly.   
  
"Oh… I'm sorry… do you…?"  
  
"No," Kate again answered dryly.  
  
"Oh, because you sounded hurt…"  
  
"That's what she always sounds like," Jean muttered.   
  
"I know you don't have anything on Alex. Seems to me you're pretty sweet on Fred."  
  
"And what if I am?" Jean snapped.  
  
"I dunno, you just don't strike me as the type who'd actually care about anyone."  
  
"You can have Alex, Marie. Touch him for me, will you?"  
  
"Hey, that's low, Jean. I'm trying to be friendly and you go on a little bitch trip. Nice guy like Freddy, what's he doing with you?"   
  
"For your information, Freddy happens to love me very much, just like I love him! You can go on dreaming about having a guy you can't even touch. I've got someone who understands me, and I'm happy." Rogue didn't reply to Jean's comment on her powers, so she didn't and went right back to washing her hair. Then she thought of something that had to be a touchy subject for Jean.  
  
"So Jean… you and Toad. What's up?" Rogue could hear Jean sigh in frustration.  
  
"Just drop it, Rogue."  
  
"No, really. You've got a past with him. He came into the family when he was ten, so I don't think you and him could've had any romance."  
  
"You know what? Fuck off. I don't need to answer any of your questions."  
  
"Where's Wanda?" Kate asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Where's Wanda?"  
  
"Oh, Wanda…" Jean had completely forgotten about her. "Daddy's girl went off to do something for him. Probably has to do with that asshole brother of yours, Marie. Don't worry too much, Kate. Not too many people can mess with Wanda and leave in one piece."  
  
Rogue was a little surprised that Jean's tone seemed to change when she answered Kate, like she was saying it just to reassure her. Maybe there was more to Jean than she had thought.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
X-Force waited inside their plane for Wolverine and Mastermind to return. Wolverine had some scouting to do, and Mastermind would help keep a low profile. Pietro had asked to come along, but Wolverine had told him it was important to minimize scouts. Apparently, whoever it was they were spying on would be able to detect anyone else besides Wolverine and Mastermind.  
  
"Hey Gambit, I'll play you solitaire," Cannonball said.  
  
"Solitaire's a one-player game, stupid." Cannonball held his helmet in his lap. His blonde hair was kept short and neat, but his face had several scars. Sam's propulsion manifested before his limited invulnerability, so he had damaged himself quite a bit in his younger days. Gambit's hair was medium-length, and rather crazy. It seemed to stand up without aid. He wore a brown trench coat, strangely enough. Remy shuffled a deck of cards. "Since there's four of us in here, how about a little poker?"  
  
"No way," Wolfsbane said. "You're a dirty cheater." Rahne had grown up in Scotland, so she had a noticeable accent. Gambit thought her accent was cute, but nothing else. Rahne's hair was tied behind her in a short ponytail.  
  
"Pietro, you in?"  
  
"No, I'm just gonna sit here and think."  
  
"Don't hurt yourself." Pietro was worried. They were close to Trask's destination, too close for comfort. It seemed unlikely to him that Trask would actually go there. But Wolverine couldn't be wrong, could he?  
  
"What's bugging you?" Rahne asked.  
  
"Nothing… I'm just thinking."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Well… doesn't it seem weird to you that Trask would want to come here?"  
  
"I'm sorry Pietro, Wolverine doesn't tell us as much as he tells you… just where are we, anyway?"  
  
Pietro took a deep breath. "We're in the old Sentinel factory."  
  
"The Sentinels? You mean Trask wants to start that up again?"  
  
"Yeah, seems like it."  
  
"But that's not exactly what's troubling you, is it?"  
  
"No… not specifically… when I was a kid, I came to this area with my family on vacation. That's when the Sentinel prototypes were sent out… metal monsters. My sister and I… we escape. I used my speed to carry her away from the assault, but the Sentinels were just stomping around, blowing every mutant they could find to pieces. My parents were trying to help some survivors to get away from them. My father…" Pietro took another deep breath. "He was already enhanced by those gems by then. The Sentinels couldn't detect him unless he used his powers, so he kept low. Then they came after mom." Rahne could see that it was difficult for Pietro. She put her arm around him.  
  
"It's okay Pietro… let it out."  
  
"Sorry, Rahne…" Pietro was holding back his tears. "Those metal monsters came after her. My father stood by and watched. They burned her, Rahne… they…"  
  
"It's alright, Pietro… it's alright…"  
  
"No…" Pietro still resisted. "That bastard didn't use his powers to save her, all so he could keep himself hidden… selfish bastard!" Pietro couldn't hold it in anymore. The tears ran down his cheek, and he cried on Rahne's shoulder.  
  
"Uh… what's with him?" Cannonball asked.  
  
"Bad memories," Rahne said. "Just bad memories."  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Wanda opened her eyes. She stood in a glass tube of some sort, inside a giant metal dome. She looked to her right and saw Scott in another tube. To her left were several more tubes, all empty.  
  
"She wakes!" Beast said. He stood at a console of some sort with a flashing blue screen and a strange helmet connected to it. "Good, good." Behind Beast, Colossus, Sunspot, Magma and Berzerker stood. He all kept their hands behind their backs. "We are ready then?" he asked Wanda.  
  
"Ready for what?"  
  
"A test. Tell me, Wanda… have you heard of the Cyttorak crystals?"  
  
"Cyttorak…? Yes, I have."  
  
"Good. You see this machine you're under?" Wanda looked up to see a smooth red sphere embedded in a metal plate. "It's a modification of the enhancer your father developed."  
  
"The enhancer…? Wait…"  
  
"Yes, Wanda. Soon, you too will know the feeling of advancement. As of now, I am the only mutant in this room who has gone through an enhancer, one modeled after the one your father built. But you, Wanda… ah, I envy you. You will be the first of a new race of super-mutants… whereas I am only an enhanced mutant, you my dear, will be an advanced mutants. I would perform this test on myself, but it's shame that I have to work the controls here."  
  
"No, you can't!"  
  
"Oh, come now!" Beast laughed. "What part of advancement do you find unappealing? You will be stronger than anyone else on this planet… with one tiny exception."  
  
"Exception?"  
  
"…But that's a different story altogether." Beast hummed a happy little tune as he activated the super-enhancer. The red stone above Wanda glowed pink, and then white. She could hear the machine powering up. Immediately, she aimed her hands upward.  
  
"Don't bother!" Beast yelled over the machine. "These tubes are fitted with nullification devices. You have no control over your powers here!"  
  
Something caught Wanda's eye. In the tube next to her, Scott's eyes were glowing under his glasses. Finally, his glasses were thrown off, and his eye-beams were fired at full force. Scott desperately tried to shut his eyes as the red beams bounced off the glass. Though his own beams couldn't hurt him, Scott preferred to keep his optic blasts under control. Due to past experiences, he was always afraid to open his eyes without his glasses for fear of hurting an innocent.  
  
"How can…? Of course," Beast muttered to himself. "The device only works if the subject has full control to begin with. Silly me. I'll have to get that fixed… holy-" The glass was beginning to crack under the pressure as the beams continued to pound away. Finally, the thick glass shattered, and everyone ducked for cover. Scott unknowingly blasted the controls to the enhancer. The machine powered down and the tube slid upward, allowing Wanda to escape. Scott fell over and looked down at the ground. When he fell, he had stepped out of the nullification zone, and he finally closed his eyes. Wanda handed him his glasses.  
  
"Thanks," Wanda said.  
  
"Uh… okay…"  
  
"C'mon, we gotta get out of here!" Wanda took Scott's hand and forced a large door open with her free hand. As they ran out, Beast looked at the enhancers. It was fortunate that each tube contained one, and only one had actually been damaged. Still, the controls were fried.  
  
"He is not pleased," Archangel said, startling Beast. Archangel had appeared without warning, through means Beast still couldn't identify. "You will be punished."  
  
"A simple design flaw! It can be fixed!" Beast pleaded. "Just give me a few more hours, it'll be up and running again!"  
  
Archangel stared at him silently. He cringed as something passed through his head.  
  
"You have until sunrise, Beast. If this attempt fails, your eyes will be pulled out of your head."  
  
"I understand…" Beast turned to his team. "Alright. Bring me the spare parts container and my tools."  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Wolverine walked through the old Sentinel factory alongside Mastermind. The factory was quite busy for an abandoned factory. Human workers worked at creating new Sentinels in the assembly areas. Wolverine walked without fear of being noticed thanks to Mastermind; to everyone else, they were just two more factory workers.  
  
"Sentinels won't be as effective," Wolverine said. "Trask doesn't know that, of course. Too many mutants out there for an army of Sentinels to take on."  
  
"Of course, but the fools don't see any other weapon. It's their only hope."  
  
"You two, back to work," Colonel Duncan Matthews ordered. A young blonde-haired man recruited into Trask's army, Matthews had risen in ranks partially due to the limited amount of available recruits, but also because of his commitment to what Trask called the Pure Blood movement. In an attempt to appear older and more worthy of respect, Matthews had grown a beard.  
  
"Excuse me, Colonel?!" Mastermind yelled, slowly tricking Matthews into thinking he was talking to two high-ranking officers. "General Trask will have you executed for your insubordination!"  
  
"I…"  
  
"We're here to report to the general on your progress," Wolverine said. "Now quit slacking and give us something to report!"  
  
"Sir, yes sir! Sir, our foundries are working at maximum efficiency, sir."  
  
"Drop the 'sir' crap, kid. Just give us the straight facts."  
  
"Yes si… yes, alright. We have three thousand men working round the clock. No Sentinels completed yet, but we expect to have at least two-hundred by the end of the week."  
  
"Only two-hundred?" Mastermind asked. "Son, there's three billion mutants out there and only a million and a half human beings left on this planet, and you expect us to win this battle with only two-hundred Sentinels?!"  
  
"…I'm sorry sir, but that's all we can afford."  
  
"Afford?! This is life and death, son! Us or them! We don't have the luxury of being able to decide to doddle around without any worries! General Trask will be VERY unhappy about this!"  
  
"…How many Sentinels do you suggest, sir?"  
  
"I want at LEAST a thousand ready for battle by the end of the week!"  
  
"A thousand?! Sir, that's ins-"  
  
"ARE YOU CALLING ME INSANE, COLONEL?!"  
  
"Sir, no sir! We will have a thousand Sentinels ready by the end of the week, sir!"  
  
"Good. Keep this factory running at that rate. We're building another factory a few thousand miles from here to double our supply. I just hope it'll be enough."  
  
"We will win this war, sir," Colonel Matthews said.  
  
"Good, good. Get to work, son. Get those workers working."  
  
"Yes, sir." Colonel Matthews hurried to the control center. Wolverine and Mastermind laughed.  
  
"A thousand? You're an evil man, Mastermind," Wolverine said.  
  
"Maybe. Those poor fools will be so overworked that they'll die before they get a chance to protest. I almost feel sorry for that kid. When Trask finds out he has no workforce, he's going to be hanged for sure."  
  
"Only good human is a dead human."  
  
"So true. Now then, the other business we were here for…" Mastermind created the illusion of an extra door in the factory. Wolverine took a bomb from his belt and placed it on the wall.  
  
"Stand back." The door swung open, at least, that's what the workers saw. The two high-ranking officers walked in and shut the door behind them.  
  
"Stay here and keep the illusion up." Wolverine walked down the secret metal hall to a secret metal door. He took a metal key from his belt and placed it in the metal door.  
  
Wolverine walked inside the large metal chamber and activated a hologram projector. A tall, dark and imposing figure appeared in hologram form, twice the size of Wolverine. Wolverine kneeled down respectfully.  
  
"Master, the humans are being worked to death."  
  
The figure grimaced.  
  
"Yes, Master. I will bring Quicksilver here. Magneto and his X-Men will be yours."  
  
  
  
Alex and Rogue? Yikes, Rietro fans are gonna murder me! BRING IT ON, PUNKS. Er... so what does Apocalypse want with Magne-FUCK. I revealed it? Oh, like it was a big surprise. So what does Apocalypse want with Magneto? All will be revealed... maybe. 


	4. Traitors

What? You guys don't like this? I guess I'll quit after this... wait, wait, wait... when has that stopped me before? HA! This chapter's title works on more than one level... more on that later. Oh, and excuse the grammar.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Four - Traitors  
  
"WOOHOOOOO!" Tabitha Smith yelled from the roof of a ruined building in Northern Mexico. Tabitha was pretty much the same as our version, except with less responsibility. She tossed several marble-sized bombs into the air and watched them explode like tiny fireworks. The fire remained in the air and grouped into a large fireball, which turned into a dancing clown. On the street, a thin man with long, wiry red hair laughed like a lunatic. The dancing clown jumped all over the street, setting fire to everything it touched.  
  
"Hahaha! YEAH! Tabby, baby! Hook me up with some more of that fire!" Johnny Allerdyce yelled. It was no coincidence that his nickname was Pyro. Tabby threw several more bombs into the air and detonated them. When Pyro collected the flames, Evan Daniels called to him.  
  
"Pyro! Set it here!" Evan created a pole-length spike from his arm. Evan's thick black hair was tied into long dreadlocks, which he swung around freely. Pyro set fire to Evan's bone spike and he twirled it around like a fire dancer. After a few seconds, it got too hot for him.  
  
"HAHAHAHAHA! Burnt fingers are no fun, eh mate?" Pyro removed the flames and made them swirl towards the sky as Tabby cheered.  
  
A block away, Scott and Wanda watched as the trio of street urchins partied in the street.   
  
"You think they can help us?" Scott asked.  
  
"I don't know… I'm almost afraid to ask… I guess we have no other choice. Hey there!" Wanda called.   
  
"Hey, we got company!" Pyro yelled. "G'day, strangers!"  
  
"Hello. I'm Wanda, this is Scott."  
  
"Pleased to meet ya both! That tight little package up there is Tabby, and this jackass is Boner!"  
  
"Hey, you forgot to introduce yourself, Flamer!"  
  
"Uh… listen… where are we?"  
  
"I dunno," Pyro stopped to think for a moment. "Come to think of it, we have no idea where the Hell we are."  
  
"Mexico, man," Evan said. "We found that stash of tequila last night, remember?"  
  
"Oh yeah, I remember! Hey, which one of us nailed Tabby?"  
  
"You both did!" Tabby yelled. They all laughed.   
  
"Look," Scott said, "I'm going to be honest here. You're all idiots. C'mon, we'll find our own way back."  
  
"Not a good idea!" Tabby yelled. "These parts aren't too safe anymore. Gotta travel in numbers if you want to stay alive!"  
  
"Yeah, and there's so many bloody corpses around here that it's just the three of us! Those corpses ain't bloody, they're all burnt and crispy! I just say bloody 'cuz I'm a bloody Aussie!" Somehow, this was funny to them.  
  
"Just what's so dangerous here that it's taken the entire population but spared you three idiots?"  
  
"Something that likes mutants," Tabby said. "Apocalypse's guys ran through here and killed everyone except the mutants. We just kinda wandered here!" Evan ducked into an alley, but didn't go unnoticed by Pyro and Tabby.  
  
"Aw, he still sad?"  
  
"Still sad that his auntie's a slave to Apocalypse?"  
  
"SHUT UP!" Evan yelled.  
  
"'Auntie O! Auntie O!'" Pyro teased.   
  
"SHUT THE FUCK UP PYRO!" Evan ran back out of the alley, covered in bone spikes. He fired them all at Pyro. One of them stabbed him in the shoulder and another in the knee. "YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHEN TO QUIT LAUGHING, DO YOU?!"  
  
"Hey, chill, Spyke!" Tabby yelled. "We're just teasing!"  
  
"Some teasing!"  
  
"Aw, don't take it personal, mate," Pyro told him, pulling the spikes out. He didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, it seemed to Wanda that this happened very often. "We know what you're going through, but what do you want us to do, mope around and be all depressed and shit about all this? Nah, mate! We gotta have a sense of humor!"  
  
"Right, right…" Evan took a deep breath. "Scott, Wanda… I get your names right?" They nodded. "Yeah, we're going north later, seeing if we can make it to Texas or something. You guys can tag along if you want."  
  
"No thanks, we-"  
  
"Thanks, we won't be too much trouble," Wanda interrupted. Scott glared at her. Again.  
  
"Excuse me, but you don't own me, Wanda. You can stay with these idiots, I'm finding my own way back."  
  
"Scott, wait!" Scott ignored her. The trio continued their little late night fireworks as Wanda watched Scott walk away into the night.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
"Any sign, Ariel?" Jean asked through her radio. The X-Men, along with Kurt, Toad and Rogue, had set out to look for their missing teammate and brother, respectively. They had all split off in different directions. There wasn't anyone near Jean for at least half a mile.  
  
"Nothing…" Kate answered.  
  
"This isn't looking good," Alex said. "We've been looking for three hours! We should've found something by now!"  
  
"Take it easy," Rogue said to him. "If Wanda's with Scott, then they'll be okay."  
  
"Whoa, get a load of this!" Toad yelled. "I found someone's bike…" Toad hopped around the corner and saw the burnt wreckage of the second motorcycle. "Found th' second one."  
  
"Any signs?" Alex asked.  
  
"Uh… yeah. First bike looks like it fell over. Second bike… looks like it kinda got blown up."  
  
"Blown up?!" Kate cried. Everyone could hear her breathing heavily.  
  
"Relax, Kate, it must've been some kind of accident… Toad, anything else around there?"  
  
"Yeah. Someone dropped their radio. I-YIPE!"  
  
"Toad? Toad?!"  
  
"Er… ow. Sorry. This trash can here's got tons of static on it. Lemme see if th' radio works… er, stand by." Toad clicked it on. "Testing, testing… testing, testing…"  
  
"Set it to channel 2."  
  
"Testing, testing…"  
  
"I'm not hearing anything."  
  
"Thing's busted then," Toad said through his working radio. "Man, I'm gettin' outta here… I can't touch anything here without gettin' zapped!"  
  
"Wait," Freddy chimed in. "The radio's not working, and there's static everywhere?" Freddy thought for a moment. "Something shorted it out. Any electronics around there?"  
  
"Nothin' else here."  
  
"Berzerker… alright, everyone regroup. Magneto's not going to like this."  
  
"No, he won't," Mesmero said. Dressed in a heavy black robe with red markings on his face, Mesmero had somehow appeared out of thin air. A wave of his hand later, Freddy found the world spinning and going black…  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Pietro cursed himself. How could he have been so stupid? Wolverine had led Pietro, along with Rahne, Cannonball and Gambit into the chamber, telling them it was a hiding place. The moment they were inside, Wolverine locked the door and Mastermind confused them while he confined them with chains.  
  
"How could you do this to us?!"  
  
"Shut up, Cannonball. You kids'll thank me later."  
  
"Under the rule of Apocalypse, the world will be a better place," Mastermind said. The only one not struggling to break free from the chains was Gambit. It seemed that he had accepted his fate.  
  
"That's not all, is it?" Pietro asked. "Why aren't you taking us to him now? You're waiting for something."  
  
"W-we're waiting for him to arrive."  
  
"HA! You just made that up! Thought I couldn't detect that little pause?" Wolverine sighed and popped the claws out of his knuckles. He pointed them right at Pietro's face and grinned.  
  
"Not that it matters now, huh? How do you expect to get out of here anyway?"  
  
"Like this!" Gambit yelled. One of the chain links exploded, and the others followed in a chain reaction… so to speak. He grabbed the chains holding Cannonball and charged them as well. Wolverine rushed to stop him before he could help Rahne, who was next in line, but enough of the links had broken away for Cannonball to ram Wolverine into the metal wall, leaving a man-sized dent. Despite his strength, the blow was too much for Wolverine. He dropped to the floor, groaning. With his partner out of commission, it was all up to Mastermind.   
  
"Wolverine!" Gambit yelled. He took a playing card from his coat and threw it at Cannonball. Rahne changed into her wolf form and pounced on Cannonball. Only his armor kept her from delivering a lethal bite.  
  
"Fun time's over, Mastermind!" Pietro managed to see through the illusion and ran for him. Cannonball flew in his way, and soon the others followed.  
  
"You're gonna pay, Wolverine!" Rahne threatened him.  
  
"Hey! I'm not Wolv… oh, right, Mastermind…" Pietro dashed around the chamber, avoiding playing cards, fangs, and high-impact tackles. One of Cannonball's assaults left a giant dent in the chamber door. Pietro had an idea.  
  
"I'm feeling tired!" Pietro lied. "Guess I better stop and catch my breath."  
  
"GOTCHA!" Gambit flipped a full deck of cards in Pietro's direction. He zoomed away and watched the multitude of charged cards blast away at the door. Pietro slipped out and down the Sentinel factory before they could realize what had happened.  
  
It didn't feel right leaving the others behind, but Pietro had no choice. If Mastermind's spells were affecting them, then there was no way he could help. He sprinted for the door, carefully not to run so slow that the human workers could see him.  
  
"Thank God! The Colonel got us an air conditioner!"  
  
"About time!"  
  
-------------------------------  
  
"They what?!" Magneto yelled. His voice echoed through the metal halls. "No, no! This can't be! How could this happen?!"  
  
"Hey, settle down!" Forge cowered as metal objects flew in every direction. "I told you, I've found Mesmero's trace there. All we have to do is find him!"  
  
"You IDIOT! Have you ever DEALT with Mesmero?!"  
  
"Magnus, at least Mesmero is unaffiliated! After he was tossed aside by Apocalypse, all he cares about is stealing junk off the street…"  
  
"That's not the point, Forge! He's brainwashed my students! I will not tolerate this!"  
  
"Quit your whining, Magnus!" Mystique yelled. "You've awoken Kevin."  
  
"Who in blazes is Kevin?!"  
  
"The child! Everyone needs a name, you know."  
  
"Mystique, Mesmero has your children as well! They could be anywhere!"  
  
"Then let's find them!"  
  
"IT'S NOT THAT EASY!" Magneto slammed his fist against the wall in rage. His hand remained there until he was calm enough to think clearly. "Forge, your mutant detector… what kind of range does it have?"  
  
"…About a hundred miles."  
  
"Use it. Report your findings to me." Forge flipped the main switch of a large device with several cables running along the wall. The machine was easily four times Forge's height, but it was the most efficient design he could come up with. He figured that a month later he would be able to come up with a smaller version. The main screen lit up and displayed a radar map with two red dots right in the center, and then two orange ones next to them.  
  
"That's us and the baby… orange one's Magnus, since he's enhanced… wait, there's another orange one…"  
  
"Forget that. Is there nobody else?" Mystique asked.  
  
"Hold on, it's still running… might take a few minutes to work its magic." A few seconds later, eight red dots appeared fifty miles south of the Institute. Four orange spots appeared next to them, and then disappeared. The screen whined and then exploded, and the machine shut down.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I don't know… it picked up four enhanced signals, but something blew the damn thing… but there should have been three red mutants on the screen, and just one orange one… Mystique, you're not enhanced, are you?"  
  
"No, I'm norm… oh…" Mystique looked down at baby Kevin. "No, it couldn't be. Not at his age."  
  
"Mutants don't usually show up as mutants until their teens," Forge explained. "I mean, the baby being a mutant already was a surprise in itself. Someone must've exposed him to a Cyttorak gem."  
  
"Apocalypse," Magneto said. "It all makes sense now. He had plans for the child. He sent his agents to make sure nobody else got to him. Why he didn't order them to take him with them is what I am wondering."  
  
Magneto, Mystique and Forge looked at baby Kevin, then exchanged worried glances.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
The old castle in Northern Germany was dead that night. Various mutants walked around it, guarding the ground and keeping watch in the towers, but even with the activity, it seemed dead. Dark, quiet, foggy…  
  
"I hope that you are pleased," Mastermind said as he bowed. The tall, powerful mutant En Sabah Nuhr, Apocalypse, nodded to the smaller man. Apocalypse wore thick, dark blue armor on him and black robes over them. He had no hair, and his skin was a gray color with dark blue markings. His eyes glowed an eerie yellow, and his imposing appearance was made even more unsettling by the look of disappointment on his face. Wolverine and Mastermind, both bowing humbly to their master and unable to see his face in their position, waited for his answer.  
  
"Very displeased," Apocalypse bellowed. His servants could not hide the look of terror in their faces. Not that Apocalypse needed to see their faces to know this. "Quicksilver?"  
  
"He… he escaped. I tried to stop him, but my illusions no longer work on him."  
  
"His mind powers are growing," Wolverine said. "He can't be fooled."  
  
"Wolverine? Why did you not take action?"  
  
"I was busy with the other three, master… they are tough mutants. They will serve you well."  
  
"Yes. They will," Apocalypse said. It was clearly a command, not an assumption. Wolverine and Mastermind remained at Apocalypse's feet.   
  
"Rise." They stood, but did not look at Apocalypse's face. "I am putting you in charge of the new shipment." Apocalypse motioned towards the stone stairway, where Mesmero stood with a look of satisfaction on his face. Apocalypse turned to his other two slavers and smiled wickedly.  
  
Elsewhere in the castle, the gray-furred Beast had set up another series of advancers. Each of the X-Men stood within a glass tube. Kate Pryde, Marie Darkholme, Freddy Dukes, Jean Grey, Todd Darkholme, Kurt Darkholme, and Alex Summers, all lined up.  
  
"Today is the greatest day of your lives!" Beast announced. "Today, you join the ranks of the few, the proud, the elite!"  
  
The nullification devices were in effect. Kate and Kurt tried to escape, but received electric shocks instead of freedom. Freddy pounded away, but he was weakened by the machine.  
  
"Where is Magneto?" Apocalypse asked Mesmero.  
  
"I… Magneto will come to us, master. He will not abandon his precious X-Men."  
  
"I hope so. If Magneto is not in my possession soon, I will use you as kindling for my fire." Apocalypse nodded to Beast. All seven machines were activated and began to charge up.  
  
"Oh my… master, there is a problem! Shall I shut down?"  
  
"Shut down?" Apocalypse was displeased. "After you do that, I expect a good explanation for it."  
  
"Yes, master." The machines stopped and returned to their normal setting. "The boy's belt… it's holding him back. If the machine is to work properly, it will have to be removed."  
  
"The boy has no control over his power. The belt remains."  
  
"The belt will cause a severe malfunction."  
  
"Then the boy will not be advanced." The tube opened, and Alex was free. "Havok. You are free to go."  
  
"Master…?"  
  
"Silence. Go, boy."  
  
"I will… thank you." Alex turned back to his friends. Their faces told him that they didn't consider him the same. He mouthed something to Rogue.  
  
'I'll get help.' Alex ran out of the castle as fast as he could.  
  
"Shall I continue?" Beast asked.  
  
"No. We will wait."  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Scott considered himself lucky. He had found an ice cream truck, so he was driving it in an arbitrary direction.   
  
"AAAH! HEY!" Something had run in the way of Scott's ice cream truck and he swerved in response. When he finally stopped, he wondered why he had swerved when there was nothing else after the initial blur. He stepped out and looked around.  
  
"Whoa, sorry about that!" the silver-haired Pietro apologized after zipping back to him. "I'm just in a bit of a hurry!"  
  
"Wait, wait, wait… you're the first person I've seen since yesterday. Who are you and why are you so damn fast?"  
  
"Pietro," Pietro quickly shook Scott's hand, "I'm a mutant… gotta go!"  
  
"HEY! Wait, you little spaz! I'm Scott! Where are you going?"  
  
"I… I dunno! I'm just running in an arbitrary direction and hoping I find som… oh. Yeah, so where are you going?"  
  
"I don't know, but I need to get in touch with my family. They're all the way in New Zealand with what's-his-face, and I'm in… I guess this is North America."  
  
"New Zealand? …You're looking for Magneto, aren't you?!"  
  
"I guess… guy's an uptight asshole, but my family's staying with him."  
  
"In that case, I can't help you. Later!"  
  
"Hold it!" Pietro started to run, but Scott was quick with an optic blast. "I said wait, fucker! You know Magneto, so you're gonna help me find him!"  
  
"No way! You're on your own!" Pietro scrambled, but Scott hit him again. "C'mon! Cut that out!"  
  
"You're gonna help me whether you like it or not!"   
  
"Look…" Pietro stood up and dusted himself off. "If you have to know, Magneto happens to be my father, and I don't like him any more than you do, so let's-"  
  
"DOES IT LOOK LIKE I CARE?! You stupid Lehnsherr kids are all so fucking dramatic! Your sister's hanging out with a bunch of lunatics in Mexico, and we gotta go back for her."  
  
"You left Wanda with a bunch of street thugs?!"  
  
"It was a mistake, okay?! We all make mistakes! We're only mutants!"  
  
"Okay, I'll help you find Wanda, but I am NOT getting involved with that worthless clown! Got it?!"  
  
"Yeah, I got it. Climb in." Pietro sat next to Scott, and they began to drive south… at least, Pietro told him it was south. "Oh yeah, and you need to work on your insults."  
  
"Bite me."  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Wanda sat up against the plain wall inside an abandoned apartment complex. She had been given a sleeping bag, but she couldn't sleep. Evan slept in a pile of blankets in the corner, occasionally snoring. Tabby slept in Pyro's arms across the room in a larger sleeping bag, holding an empty beer bottle in one hand.  
  
Wanda wondered where Scott was. She knew he was stubborn, but she doubted he would go long without realizing he had made a mistake. Not that she was in the best of situations.  
  
"Why do you have to be so difficult?" she whispered.  
  
Wanda heard something… a whisper. She kept low and kept her hands up. A young boy entered the room, moving slowly to avoid making any noise. Two others followed him, then three more. They all looked exactly the same.  
  
The first boy slipped his hands into the sleeping bag shared by Pyro and Tabby. He pulled out a bag of something… it looked like potato chips. The second and third boys dug through Evan's blankets. They found nothing. The next three were on their way towards Wanda.  
  
"Thieves!" Wanda waved her hands, and all but one boy disappeared. Her cry awoke the others. Evan jumped up and covered himself in spikes and Tabby held two bombs in each hand. Pyro approached the boy and held him up in the air.  
  
"What's up, Jamie? Looking for some loose change?"  
  
"No sir… I just wanted some food…"  
  
"Food's ours, kiddy! Finders keepers, that's the law!"  
  
"But I can't find anything on my own!"  
  
"Too bad. Out."  
  
"Wait," Wanda said. "Jamie, where are your parents?"  
  
"Dead. The Horsemen got them."  
  
"C'mon, guys. Don't be so hard on him."  
  
"You don't know him," Evan said. "He sees a new girl and plays innocent."  
  
"Get outta here!" Pyro threw him on the floor. Jamie's eyes were filled with tears. He held them back as best as he could and stood up.  
  
"Jamie, wait!" Wanda said. "Stay with us. Who knows what you'll find out there."  
  
"Are you insane?!" Tabby yelled. "This kid's dangerous!"  
  
"Isn't that what 'normal' people said about the rest of us? If we judge him before we even get to know him, then we're no better than Trask."  
  
"Fine! Let the kid stay," Pyro yelled. "But if anything goes wrong, we're throwing BOTH of you out on the street!"  
  
'Not that the street is any different from here,' Wanda thought. "C'mon, Jamie. You can sleep in my bag."  
  
"Really? Are you sure?"  
  
"It's no problem." Jamie smiled and quickly got in the sleeping bag with Wanda. The others settled down as well, but kept their eye on him. As Wanda drifted to sleep, Jamie gave the others a devilish grin.  
  
"Good night," he said.  
  
  
  
So now we've got more characters in. What was up with those orange dots? What did Apocalypse have planned for baby Kevin? What does Apocalypse have planned for X-Force? Why did Apocalypse let Alex go? What's that little bastard Multiple up to? More questions!! Also... notice how Trask's name is mentioned so often, but he hasn't actually appeared yet? That'll be fixed soon. 


	5. Iceman's Struggle and Magneto's Lament

So here we are, five chapters into this nightmare. I didn't even realized there was already an Age of Apocalypse on this site, so I've tweaked the title a bit. Sorry about that. Anwyay, this chapter makes use of the R rating, but don't worry, it doesn't get too bad. It'll get worse in later chapters... I mean, Wolverine's still in the story, isn't he? Yeah. He'll use those claws before it's all done. So here are are, chapter five. Oh, and excuse the grammar.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Five - Iceman's Struggle and Magneto's Lament  
  
Australia… or what was left of it. This was the home of the human resistance, and the only place not yet reached by Apocalypse. Small bands of humans existed elsewhere around the world, but their population was thinning. It was strange that Apocalypse had not destroyed Australia when he had ordered New Zealand and Indonesia "cleansed." Most of the human population of Australia had been wiped out by a virus of some sort, and they suspected that Apocalypse was involved, until they learned that it seemed to affect mutants as well. Most of the human resistance in General Trask's Pure Blood movement had recovered from their illness or immunized.  
  
Around a thousand soldiers in gray uniforms stood ready before a small building with a small balcony, their guns at their sides, all standing straight and not a single man moving out of turn. A soldier stood at either end of the balcony, where General Bolivar Trask watched his army. Trask was an older man with a graying beard and a gray uniform indistinguishable from that of his men. He walked with a noticeable limp, but always forced himself to stand tall and proper.   
  
"Good army. Good army…" he whispered to himself. He saluted his men and they returned his salute. He limped back into the building and picked up a receiver on a small computer. He entered a few numbers.  
  
"Yes, General?" Colonel Matthews appeared on the screen.  
  
"Colonel Matthews, status report. Are the Sentinels ready?"  
  
"I… er… sir, I have bad news… sir."  
  
"Bad news…?"   
  
"Our workforce was unable to keep up with the order, sir."  
  
"Unable to keep up? I would have thought that so many men could build two-hundred Sentinels without too much trouble. Have you been keeping their rations from them?"  
  
"…Wait, two-hundred? You had ordered a thousand, sir."  
  
"A thousand?! Are you insane?! These are workers, not machines!"  
  
"But sir, I received the order for a thous-"  
  
"From who?!"  
  
"Lieutenant General Eisenhaus, sir."  
  
"Eisen-? No such person is enlisted in this army! Who could have… of course. A mutant. You've been tricked!"  
  
"A mutant, sir?"  
  
"Yes… a shape shifting mutant. I've dealt with her before. We are working on our mutant detection system… how many Sentinels were produced?"  
  
"I… er… twenty, sir."  
  
"Twenty?! How much of the workforce is left?"  
  
"We have… forty men, sir."  
  
"Forty?! Those damn mutants! Colonel, activate the Sentinels."  
  
"Sir? Don't you think it's too soon? I mean, twenty…"  
  
"We're out of options at this point. I'm sending six-hundred troops to the factory to replace your workforce. The Sentinels will have to cover for them."  
  
"Yes, sir. Colonel Matthews out." A young man of about sixteen approached Trask, bowing slightly as he did. With such a limited amount of people available, Trask had been forced to recruit children as young as fourteen. "Private McGregor, you have what I requested?"  
  
"Yes, sir," McGregor said. Trask took a disk from him and smiled.  
  
"Good work. This will not go unnoticed." Trask picked up the receiver on the videophone and dialed a different number. A young red-haired man appeared on the screen he was dressed like everyone else, in military uniform, but his hair was fairly shaggy for a soldier. This man was not actually enlisted in Trask's army, but was working for him.  
  
"General Trask, sir."  
  
"I will be arriving in India tomorrow with the reinforcements. I am bringing the disk with me. You will know what to do with it?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Good. I hope you live up to your reputation, Arcade."  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Toad scratched his head. He sat on a cinder block in the dungeon of Apocalypse's castle with the others. The dungeon had probably been there since the castle was built, but the metal bars were replaced by a thick sheet of glass with a small vent in the center for air to pass through. A nullification device had been attached to the ceiling. Its power covered a wide range, wide enough to keep any of them from using their mutations. Toad couldn't even extend his tongue.  
  
"Some friend," Jean said. "He gets freed and saves his own ass."  
  
"What could he have done?" Rogue argued. "You think he could have taken all of them alone? Think for a minute, huh?"  
  
"He could have at least tried! All he cared about was himself, that little traitor."  
  
"Dammit, Jean, what would YOU have done?!"  
  
"I'd take on those assholes and free my friends, since at least I care enough to save you!"  
  
"Settle down," Freddy said. "We're not going to get anywhere if we just argue about this. I'm sure Alex will go get Magneto and come back for us."  
  
"He will! He told me!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well… I couldn't actually hear him, but he said it! He'll get help and come back for us, so there's your answer!"  
  
"Funny how you didn't mention this before," Jean said. Rogue was ready to punch her in the face. It was unfortunate that Freddy sat between them. "Aaah… kkkaaa… aaarrr!"  
  
"Jean, what's wrong?"  
  
"My… head…" Jean's telepathy had somehow activated itself. With the nullification device active, she received numerous shocks throughout her body and screamed, unable to turn her powers off.  
  
"Jean! JEAN!" Freddy held her close to him as she convulsed. Slowly, the shocks stopped. "Are you alright?"  
  
"No…"  
  
"Heh, that's my Jean! You had me worried!"  
  
"As you should be," Mastermind said through the vent. He was flanked by two mutant guards, one with spikes growing from his elbows and the other with an eye on each palm, and no sockets on his face. "I hope you didn't mind that I reached into your mind for a moment, but it's not my fault that your defenses went up. Apocalypse can help you control that, you know."  
  
"You!" Jean yelled. She ran to the glass and pounded her fists against it. Freddy pulled her away and wrapped his large hands around her fists to restrain her. "I should have known you were working for Apocalypse!"  
  
"You should have known to stay out of this. You could have avoided this had you come back to me when you had the chance."  
  
"For what? So I could be a slave like you?!"  
  
"Your brother had sense enough to refuse Magneto's offer." Toad stood up and gave Mastermind the nastiest look he could muster. Mastermind grinned. "Ah, Todd, my only son. You and your sister have grown well. You will both make such wonderful servants."  
  
"So let me get this straight," Freddy said. "You and Toad are siblings, and this jerk is your father?"  
  
"Unfortunately," Jean said.  
  
"Fred Dukes, a fine young man. Smart, honest, dependable, gentle. See? You have good judgment, Jean. Why couldn't you have applied it elsewhere? It doesn't matter anymore. Soon we'll be together again, as a family." Mastermind walked away from the cell, cackling.  
  
"That's it, then," Kate said from the corner. "We're all going to die."  
  
"We're not going to die, Kate!" Jean said.  
  
"Yeah, we're gonna mutate," Kurt muttered.  
  
"We're not going to mutate, either! Alex will come back for us!"  
  
"Oh? Didn't you call him a little traitor a minute ago?"  
  
"Oh shut up, Rogue. Can't you see Kate is scared?"  
  
-------------------------------  
  
"Alright, we got breakfast!" Evan yelled. Pyro, Tabby, Wanda and Jamie had discovered a ruined supermarket. The only things that had survived were canned foods, so they opened them and feasted.  
  
"So Jamie, how old are you?" Wanda asked.  
  
"Twelve."  
  
"So you can make copies of yourself? I wish I had a power like that."  
  
"Yeah, it comes in handy." Jamie seemed more concerned with eating than talking. Wanda didn't blame him. Evan and Tabby had already had their fill and were running around the store throwing things at each other. Jamie finished eating and joined them, though they tried to avoid him. Pyro stayed near Wanda, watching him.  
  
"Give it a rest," Wanda said. "The poor kid's just scared."  
  
"Poor kid my ass."  
  
"What's so bad about him that you won't give him a chance?"  
  
"Tabby can make those little bombs, I can control fire, Evan can make spikes, and you do that… witchy stuff. Jamie can make copies."  
  
"So what's wrong with that?"  
  
"You're not looking at the real Jamie." A large box from the top shelf fell right next to Wanda and spread powdered soap on the floor.  
  
"What the…?"  
  
"It starts. Don't say I didn't warn you." Pyro took a lighter from his pocket and kept it ready. A bone spike flew overhead, followed by Jamie's scream and a sort of fizzling noise.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"I got one of his clones," Evan said. He started running when a butcher knife flew towards him. He quickly grew several tiny spikes on his forearm as padding and caught the knife. Jamie's giggle echoed through the store.  
  
"Little asshole…" Tabby threw a bomb at a Jamie clone and another clone hit her over the head with a broom. A third clone then ran in with a frying pan and started hitting Tabby's legs. Pyro sent a fire bird to scare them off and helped Tabby to her feet.  
  
"Okay, luv?"  
  
"Yup!" Several more Jamies started running around, carrying kitchen utinsels. Wanda ran from them but they cornered her. Eleven of them ran towards her carrying forks and knives. She waved her hands and several gallons of expired milk dropped from the shelf. With that distraction, Wanda ran around the corner of another aisle, only to find another crowd of Jamies, this time carrying large and heavy boxes.  
  
"Little bastard cut me!" Evan yelled. He fired more spikes and more Jamies dissolved. Wanda heard several small explosions on the other side of the store and assumed that Tabby was dealing with several of them herself. Wanda ran towards the general direction of the explosions, where she met Pyro and Evan as well. She looked around and realized that the Jamies had surrounded them. Pyro burned several of them while the others dealt with even more in their own ways, but the Jamie onslaught continued. Suddenly, one of the shelves fell, crushing several Jamies and nearly taking Wanda. On top of the fallen shelves, more Jamies giggled.  
  
"That's enough!" Wanda yelled. She waved her hands, and the Jamies all went limp and fell to the ground. Only one remained standing, but he quickly fell limp as well. It was too late. Pyro kept his eye on him and picked up the real Jamie.  
  
"Had enough fun?" He turned to Wanda. "Believe us now? Kid's a damn sadist."  
  
"Yeah, I believe you now."  
  
"C'mon guys, I was just playing around!" Jamie explained.  
  
"Nope. We got you this time," Pyro said. "Hey Tabby, make a lil' bomb, willya?"  
  
"What are you gonna do to me?"  
  
"You still hungry, kid? Tabby's gonna make you some desert!"  
  
"No, no! C'mon, guys! Let me go!"  
  
"Hey, don't kill him, either," Wanda protested. "Just let him go."  
  
"No, he's too dangerous." Tabby carried a rather large bomb in her hands and Evan pried Jamie's mouth open. Wanda slapped the bomb out of her hand and pushed Evan away.  
  
"Are you really that evil?"  
  
"It's him or us!" Pyro yelled. He pushed Wanda away as Tabby created another bomb.   
  
"No, please! Don't! Please, no! NO!" Jamie tried to squirm away, but Evan and Pyro were too strong. Tabby placed the bomb in Jamie's mouth, but a blue beam knocked it out before she could push it in. The bomb rolled along the floor, covered in a thick layer of ice.  
  
Several feet away, Iceman held his hand out. He was alone, but this didn't matter to him. He said nothing, but held his hand out. He wanted them to give him Jamie.  
  
"Come and get him!" Pyro yelled.   
  
"Iceman? Wait, where are the others?" Wanda asked.  
  
"Sometimes they show up alone," Tabby said. "We can take him." Iceman frozed the floor and caused everyone to slip. Tabby threw a small bomb at him and Wanda waved her hand. Iceman couldn't fire his ice beam thanks to Wanda's hex, and the bomb hit him in the shoulder. Wanda waved her hand again, and Iceman slipped on his own ice covered. Immediately, Pyro jumped on top of him. He turned on his lighter and gathered the flame it produced.   
  
"Guys, I need something flammable… Wanda keep your hex up!"  
  
"I'm on it!" Tabby had found a package of computer paper, ripped it open, and threw the contents everywhere. Pyro set fire to it and turned up the head. He pressed his hand down on Iceman's chest to keep him from getting up.  
  
"Wanda… keep that hex up!"  
  
"I'm trying!" Iceman's frost coating was melting, but seemed to reappear the moment it melted off. Frost was beginning to cover Pyro's hand. The fire was making its way to Iceman, but it wasn't enough. The melted ice was putting most of it out.  
  
"Fuck this! Going all the way!" With his free hand, Pyro gathered what fire he could and formed it into a fireball the sized of his head. With his own hand he pressed it against Iceman's chest. Iceman struggled to get away, but couldn't. The frost continued to build up on Pyro's hand, somehow passing by the fire itself. He was beginning to lose feeling in his hand, but he couldn't give up.  
  
"Pyro, what are you doing?!" Evan yelled. "Get out of there! Even you can't stand that fire for long!"  
  
"I know what I'm doing!" The frost on Iceman's skin wasn't regenerating as quickly as before. With temperatures clashing, both Iceman and Pyro were growing weak, but Pyro continued to hold down the fire. The frost buildup on Pyro's hand was gone, but now the fire was beginning to consume it. Pyro only pressed harder.  
  
"Johnny, stop it! It's no use!" Tabby screamed.  
  
"SHUT UP! I told you I know what I'm doing!" Now Iceman stopped regenerating his ice layer completely. Wanda kept her hex spell on him and Iceman was quickly losing strength.  
  
"You like that?!" Pyro screamed. "We're having Iceman barbecue! That's some good eating right there!" Iceman realized that his powers were useless and tried to push Pyro off, but he had lost too much strength. Finally, his defenses dropped entirely. Iceman caught fire and burned, and Pyro remained on top of him. The fire spread quickly to the rest of Iceman. He screamed as his face began to burn. The smell was too much for Pyro. He got up off of Iceman and fell to the ground. Some of the ice covering the floor had melted, and he placed his hand against it.  
  
"Pyro! You idiot, why did you do that?!" Tabby screamed.  
  
"Heh, I got one of the Horsemen, didn't I? But the stench…" Iceman struggled to get up, but he was far too weak. Wanda at last collapsed. The pressure was too much. With his powers free, Iceman built up a layer of ice, but it melted immediately. He kept trying, but his own body was too hot. He struggled until the end. The fire finally consumed him, and he stopped moving. He made no sound. Through the fire, they could see that just about all of his skin had already burned off. Now it was just a burning skeleton with some muscle tissue and organs left.  
  
Pyro looked at his hand. It had suffered a strange combination of frostbite and third-degree burns. He had lost all feeling and could no longer move his fingers.   
  
"Tabby, gimme a bomb."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Gimme a bomb!"  
  
"No way!"  
  
"Then how about this?" Evan pulled a spike out of his shoulder and stabbed Pyro's hand. It shattered into a thousand pieces.  
  
"Good enough. You're a good mate, Evan."  
  
"Where's Jamie?" Wanda asked. He was nowhere to be found. Tabby helped Pyro to his feet and watched the rest of Iceman burn.  
  
Outside, three figures watched the light coming from inside the store. Jamie stood with them, watching.  
  
"Pestilence is dead," Archangel said. Avalanche and Storm nodded in agreement.  
  
"What about me?" Jamie asked.  
  
"Our master has plans for you." Archangel carried Jamie and flew away, followed by the wind-riding Avalanche and Storm.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Alex Summers cursed himself. How was he supposed to get anywhere, let alone New Zealand? He couldn't remember how long he had been walking south, but from where he stood, he could still see the castle behind him… but then, it was a big castle…  
  
He wanted to give up right there. He'd had enough. It should have ended there. No Apocalypse, no mutant war, no X-Men, nothing. Just him, his family, and his friends. And Rogue…  
  
Why was he even thinking about her? He'd known her for what, a week and a half? Did he even really know her? He was beginning to think that he was just interested in her looks. Well, of course he was. But was that it?  
  
And then there was his brother, Scott. He thought Scott would be happy to see him, but it didn't seem that way. Why would Scott care at all? He did have two other brothers to fill in the void, and a sister…  
  
"Sister?" Alex asked himself. "Wait… Scott's my brother, Rogue's his… oh, hell no."  
  
"Ouch, bangin' your sister?"  
  
"Remy…?"  
  
"None other." Gambit leaned against a tree with his hands in his pockets. "Been a while, Alex. Things still alright back with Magneto?"  
  
"Sort of… what are you doing here?"  
  
"Me an' the others managed to escape from the castle a while ago. We're just taking a break." Cannonball sat in the branches of the tree that Gambit leaned on. Wolfsbane had been sitting in some bushes, and in her wolf form, she would have probably gone unnoticed. "So you got taken in, too? Magneto turn you in?"  
  
"No. I'm on my way back to the Institute."  
  
"Hmm. Not far from here. What is this, Germany?"  
  
"Well, he moved it to New Zealand."  
  
"Aw, just like that, and now you're screwed. Tell you what, Alex. We'll find us a plane and drop you off at Magneto's place. Sound good?"  
  
"Yeah… yeah, thanks, Remy. I think I'll stop for a minute." Alex sat down on the floor and exhaled. He closed his eyes and relaxed. Gambit looked at Cannonball, and then at Wolfsbane, and grinned.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Scott and the reluctant Pietro had found their way to the southern United States, down a highway in the middle of the desert. Everything was going fine, except that Pietro seemed to be obsessed with making sure at least one of them was talking.  
  
"…That's when I told Sam to push it UPWARD, and the idiot got a face full of soot!"  
  
"For the last time, Pietro, SHUT UP!"  
  
"Okay, then you tell me something."  
  
"Here's a story for you. Once upon a time, there lived an annoying little fag named Pietro. This really awesome guy named Scott found him and shot him. The end."  
  
"Who are you calling a fag? At least I keep my hair short."  
  
"My hair is fine, alright? Now… FUCK." The truck stopped. "We're out of gas."  
  
"I TOLD YOU! WE SHOULD'VE STOPPED!"  
  
"Shut up already! You see a gas station around here?" Scott was handed a can of gas. "Er… where'd you get this?"  
  
"I don't know. Try asking him." Pietro pointed to Avalanche, who stood right outside the truck and stared at Scott without emotion.  
  
"Uh… hi. Thanks for the gas."   
  
Avalanche said nothing.  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"He is Famine," Archangel said. His metal wings flapped briefly, then folded behind him. "Scott Darkholme and Pietro Lehnsherr."   
  
"Yeah, that's us."  
  
"You are in need of nourishment."  
  
"Thanks… but we're on our way somewhere."  
  
"You will not likely reach your destination before nightfall. Rogue mutants appear at night, scavengers. Come with us, and we will give you a place to stay for the night."  
  
"I think we can make it ourselves. Thanks, but we're gonna have to decline," Scott didn't like Archangel's attitude. Pietro seemed indifferent.  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that." Several rocks burst from the ground and toppled the truck onto its side. Scott and Pietro climbed out, only to be met with a strong wind from behind. Storm held her hands out and pushed them towards Archangel, who held a small capsule in his hand. He threw it down between Scott and Pietro and released a red gas. Once they were out, Avalanche and Storm each took one. Archangel took to the sky, and his companions followed.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
"So, being that you two are related," Rogue began, "How come you guys don't look alike?"  
  
"Because Toad got the ugly gene," Jean snapped. "Look, if you're going to talk to me, make sure it's important, okay?"  
  
"What, like we have anything else to do? We're sitting here, waiting for Alex to show up, or for Apocalypse to do whatever it is he's gonna do with us. The least he could've done was given us some Game Boys."  
  
"Hmm… that sister of yours, think she'd go for a guy like me?" Kurt asked. "I mean, just because she's your sister doesn't mean she's my sister."  
  
"Okay, Kurt, that's just plain creepy."  
  
"No, really."  
  
"She ain't worth it."  
  
"She's taken anyway," Freddy said.   
  
"No offense to Freddy," Rogue said, "But Jean, you seem so superficial. How come you're with Freddy?"  
  
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"  
  
"Hey, settle down, Jean," Freddy said. "I know what I look like."  
  
"Well, Rogue, if you MUST know, I happen to like Freddy for who he is, not what he looks like."  
  
"Well I KNEW that, but how did you get together?"   
  
"It took a while," Freddy replied. "When she first joined the team, she didn't like any of us. Then she got to know us and things worked out."  
  
"Hmm. I was expecting some sort of exciting story."  
  
"Oh, well if that's what you want." Freddy cleared his throat. "Long ago, in the land of America, a beautiful princess named Jean Grey lived in a spooky castle. She looked out to the horizon and wondered when her sweet prince would arrive to save her."  
  
"Does this story have ninjas?" Toad asked.  
  
"I'm getting there, I'm getting there. One day, the brave and valiant Prince Frederick came upon the beautiful princess while questing for…"  
  
"A magic lamp!" Kurt yelled.  
  
"A magic lamp! He called to her and said, 'fair maiden, I am Prince Frederick of Lubbock, pray, what is thy name?' and she replied, 'brave sir, I am Princess Jean of Connecticut! I have been trapped in this dreary castle my entire life! Brave Prince Frederick, will thou save me?' Frederick agreed to save Princess Jean, but the keeper of castle warned him that he would face three difficult challenges before she was his! The first challenge was the vicious Werewolf! Frederick's sword fighting skills dispatched the wretched beast with ease! The second challenge was band of ninjas!"  
  
"And robots!" Kurt yelled.  
  
"Band of robotic ninjas! They were well-trained… or well-programmed… anyway, they were quite a challenge for Prince Frederick, but he defeated them nonetheless! The third and finall challenge was the vicious…"  
  
"It better be another robot ninja!"  
  
"…Robotic Dragon trained in Ninjitsu!"  
  
"And it had a three-headed dog!"  
  
"…And he had a three-headed dog!"  
  
"And giant spiders!"  
  
"And giant spiders!"  
  
"Don't forget the alien spaceships!" Toad yelled.  
  
"…And giant spiders. Prince Frederick charged at them, sword in hand, prepared to fight for his lady love's freedom! The drag… hey, someone's here."  
  
"Kurt Darkholme?" Beast called through the vent. He stood with Wolverine and Mastermind. "Which one of you would be Kurt Darkholme?"  
  
"Me," Kurt reluctantly answered.  
  
"Ah, there." Mastermind held a large metal ring in his hand. The glass wall was raised, and Kurt stepped out. Immediately, the glass door fell back down behind him. Mastermind slipped the metal collar on him and pressed a switch on the side. "A portable version," he said, slightly amused.  
  
"What are you gonna do to him?" Toad asked.  
  
"Don't worry, son. We won't hurt your dear 'brother.' If you're so curious, then maybe you should come watch… but first, we have a few tests we need to run."  
  
"Yes, we won't be long," Beast said. "I'll send someone to get you when the time comes."  
  
"Time for what?" Rogue asked. She stood up and made a fist.  
  
"Time for the show," Wolverine joked. "Kid's gonna join our circus."  
  
"Keep watch on them, Wolverine," Beast said. Wolverine nodded and stayed behind as Beast and Mastermind led Kurt out of the dungeon.  
  
"I expect you to finish the story!" Kurt yelled back. Freddy chuckled at the humor of his comment, but nobody else seemed to understand it. Kate stayed close to Jean, more nervous than anyone had ever seen her.  
  
"I hope they don't kill him… they won't, will they?"  
  
"No, they won't."  
  
"I hope they don't kill him…"  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Magneto sat alone in his bedroom, staring at a picture of himself standing with Charles Xavier in front of a statue of some sort. Xavier had never lost the use of his legs, and stood alongside Magnus, who had not aged a day, despite the photograph being nearly twenty years old.  
  
"You made it look so easy, Charles," Erik Lehnsherr said to the picture. "But had I known that it would turn out this way, I never would have put their lives in danger. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to bring those kids back safely, but when I do, I am disbanding the X-Men. I've ruined enough lives chasing this dream of yours, and for what? The few 'normal' humans left have waged war on us. I knew this would happen. I should have been better prepared for it… but it doesn't matter anymore. They'll all be gone soon and mutants will rule the world. The mutants that side with Apocalypse… the moment I have the X-Men back, I will wage my own war, Charles. I made a promise I intend to keep, whether I still believe in it or not. Your dream will be enforced, Charles, and if I must do it alone then so be it, and anyone who stands in my way, man or mutant, will be crushed."  
  
  
  
  
Who's going to replace Iceman as Pestilence? What's going to happen to Jamie? What are Apocalypse and Beast going to do to Kurt? Can Alex really trust Gambit and the rest of X-Force? What's on that disk and what's Arcade going to do with it? But the real question is... where are Mystique, Forge and baby Kevin? Oh, right. They're still there... 


	6. CHAPTER 5 LOCATION UPDATE and TEAM LISTI...

Alright, as requested, here's a brief list of who's on what time, followed by an updated list of who's traveling with who. The next chapter's coming soon. I guess I'll add these updates when there's enough changes.  
  
The X-Men (Xavier Institute, location mobile [currently in New Zealand])  
Magneto (Erik Magnus Lehnsherr)- Magneto is no longer bent on world domination, but on the destruction of Apocalypse and the preservation of Xavier's dream.  
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Lehnsherr)- Loyal to her father, her powers have not yet developed to the extent that we know them.  
Havok (Alex Summers)- Rescued from the orphanage by Magneto, he is in his debt. Havok is much like our version of Cyclops, only more naive.  
Converse (Jean Grey)- Jean's mental powers are less developed because Xavier never helped her. As a result, she is much like our version of Rogue. Strangely, she is really Mastermind's daughter, and Toad's sister, though Mastermind abandoned them. She was adopted by the childless Grey family, who has been murdered by Apocalypse's forces.  
Forge (real name unknown)- Forge was never locked away in the Middleverse, so he is an older man. A technical genius and mentor to the group. Most of his parts are cybernetic.  
Stalwart (Freddy Dukes)- Fred was more easily accepted at school, and as a result is smarter and more confident. He enjoys the love and company of Jean.   
Ariel (Kate Pryde)- Having seen Apocalypse's work firsthand when her friend Lance was recruited, she is paranoid and a little out-of-touch.  
  
Brotherhood of Mutants (Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House, Bayville, New York)  
Mystique (Raven Darkholme)- Having never been under Magneto's control, Mystique is a more understanding person, though she's clearly no goody-goody.   
Note: The Darkholme siblings do not have proper codenames.  
Scott Darkholme- Having spent most of his life in an orphanage, Scott is extremely bitter. Much like our Lance.  
Kurt Darkholme- Kurt never endured the persecution our version faced, as his furry mutation hasn't manifested and Mystique has kept watch over him. The most loyal member of the Brotherhood, and most dedicated to the cause, though he is still a prankster of sorts.   
Todd "Toad" Darkholme- Faced much trouble due to his mutation being revealed early. He is angry and hateful, but hides this behind his sense of humor. Hates his real sister Jean as well as their father Mastermind, who abandoned them. Adopted by Mystique.  
Marie "Rogue" Darkholme- Mystique's daughter, no longer a goth. She is not in control of her powers, but she doesn't mind them so much. More sarcastic than depressive. Her nickname has no real basis, but it just doesn't feel right if she's not called Rogue.  
  
Apocalypse and the Horsemen (Numerous Bases, including Mexico, Germany, and others to be revealed)  
Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur)- Ancient mutant who seeks to rid the world of humankind before going forth with a greater plan that poses a threat to mutants themselves. As of the time of this list, Apocalypse hasn't officially appeared on the show, so he is loosely based on the canonical version.  
Death (Warren Worthington)- Archangel is grim and serious. He cares only about serving Apocalypse. He is the only member of the Horsemen allowed to speak, and serves as Apocalypse's messenger.  
Pestilence (Robert Drake)- Iceman is grim and serious. He cares only about serving Apocalypse.  
Famine (Lance Alvers)- Avalanche is grim and serious. He cares only about serving Apocalypse.  
War (Ororo Monroe)- Storm is grim and serious. She only cares about serving Apocalypse.  
  
Other Forces:  
Beast (Henry McCoy)- Beast is Apocalypse's chief scientist. He has his usual wit, but it seems a little sadistic.  
Colossus (Piotr Rasputin)- Colossus is grim and serious. He cares only about serving Apocalypse... at least, that's how it seems.  
Magma (Amara Aquila)- Magma is grim and serious. She cares only about serving Apocalypse.  
Sunspot (Roberto Da Costa)- Sunspot is grim and serious. He cares only about serving Apocalypse.  
Berzerker (Ray Crisp)- Berzerker is grim and serious. He cares only about serving Apocalypse.  
Mesmero (real name unknown)- Mesmero is Apocalypse's most loyal non-Horseman servant. Mesmero is a mutant slaver who hypnotizes mutants into working for Apocalypse. Sometimes, Apocalypse tells him not to take full control...  
  
Pure Blood Movement (Main base in Southern Australia, other bases around the world, including India and a Sentinel Factory in Canada)  
General Bolivar Trask- Trask leads the anti-mutant war. He is the only human ever to have survived an encounter with Apocalypse, though he sometimes wonders if it was really his own skill that saved him, or something else. Trask is more afraid of mutants than anything else.  
Colonel Duncan Matthews- An officer in Trask's army, overseeing the Sentinel factory.  
Arcade (Webber Torque)- A civilian working under Trask in programming.  
  
X-Force (no set base of operations)  
Wolverine (Jack Logan)- A tortured mutant opposed to Trask.   
Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde)- Wolverine's partner, who is also opposed to Trask. Mastermind abandoned his children, Jean and Todd, for reasons unknown.  
Quicksilver (Pietro Lehnsherr)- Most loyal to Wolverine's cause, mostly to spite his father, Magneto. Wolverine's recognized right-hand man. He has a chip on his shoulder, but he's still very much like our Pietro.  
Gambit (Remy LeBeau)- Dedicated to Wolverine's cause. Loyal, but not fanatical. Not much different from our Gambit.  
Cannonball (Samuel Guthrie)- Loyal to Wolverine's cause. Cannonball is not very smart.  
Wolfsbane (Rahne Sinclar)- Loyal to Wolverine's cause. Rahne really likes Pietro, but he doesn't seem to realize it.  
  
The street urchins (no team name or real base... they just sort of wander around)  
Johnny "Pyro" Allerdyce- A... rather happy guy. He doesn't seem to mind pain, at all. In fact, his friends are beginning to think he enjoys it. The unofficial leader of the gang. He's and Tabby are... sort of going out. It's more of a physical relationship.  
Tabitha "Tabby" Smith- Wild party girl... actually, she's pretty much the same as our version. Tabby's sleeping with Pyro, but their relationship really doesn't go beyond that.  
Evan Daniels- Originally lived with his aunt Ororo when his parents died. When she was recruited, he met Pyro and Tabby, and he's been hanging out with them since. He wants to get Apocalypse for taking his aunt away from him, but he realizes that he's too weak and really can't do much about it. He's more bitter than our version, but hides it. Likes to goof off with his friends.  
  
Others (unaffiliated)  
Jamie Madrox- Homeless kid who steals to get by. He'd make friends, but he's a sadistic little bastard who doesn't seem to understand that nobody else thinks the way he does.  
Sabretooth (Victor Creed)- Shh! It's a secret.  
Destiny (Irene Adler)- Shh! It's a secret.  
  
Characters who probably won't show up (hey, I'm still writing, but I don't really see much of a need for these characters)  
Jubilee (Jubilation Lee)  
Taryn   
Paul  
Nick Fury (will be mentioned, along with Captain America)   
  
  
Okay, update time.  
Xavier Institute, location mobile [currently in New Zealand]  
Magneto (Erik Magnus Lehnsherr)  
Forge (real name unknown)  
Mystique (Raven Darkholme)  
Baby Kevin- A child from Tibet and sole survivor of an attack by the Horsemen. An enhanced mutant, even at his age.  
  
Apocalypse's German Base  
Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur)  
Beast  
Mastermind- Revealed to be a mutant slaver working for Apocalypse. Mastermind is not under hypnosis, but he seems to want his children to work for Apocalypse, too.  
Wolverine- Revealed to be a mutant slaver working for Apocalypse. Wolverine is not under hypnosis, so it is unknown why he is doing this.  
Mesmero  
Kurt Darkholme- Captured by Mesmero and brought to Apocalypse. Now the subject of Beast's experiment.  
Todd "Toad" Darkholme- Captured by Mesmero and brought to Apocalypse.   
Marie "Rogue" Darkholme- Captured by Mesmero and brought to Apocalypse.   
Converse (Jean Grey)- Captured by Mesmero and brought to Apocalypse.   
Stalwart (Freddy Dukes)- Captured by Mesmero and brought to Apocalypse.   
Ariel (Kate Pryde)- Captured by Mesmero and brought to Apocalypse.   
  
Currently on the move:  
Gambit (Remy LeBeau)  
Cannonball (Samuel Guthrie)  
Wolfsbane (Rahne Sinclar)  
Havok (Alex Summers)- Escaped from Apocalypse's base, going with the others to get help.  
  
The street urchins   
Pyro- Lost his hand... actually, I don't think I specified which one. I guess his right.   
Tabby  
Evan   
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Lehnsherr)- Separated from Scott and the X-Men, traveling with the street urchins.   
  
Under Apocalypse's control, location unknown  
Death (Archangel)  
Pestilence (Iceman)- Iceman was killed by Pyro. A replacement has been not yet been found.  
Famine (Avalanche)  
War (Storm)  
Jamie Madrox- Taken by the Horsemen to serve Apocalypse.  
Scott Darkholme- Taken by the Horsemen.  
Quicksilver (Pietro Lehnsherr)- Taken by the Horsemen.  
  
Other:  
Sabretooth (Victor Creed)- First appearance next chapter 


	7. Night of the Sentinels

Alright guys, we made it to chapter six! Anyone still reading? Oh, right. Stupid site doesn't list R-rated fics by default. Hey, wait, maybe my account might get deleted again for speaking ill of Fanfiction.net... remember, speaking against Bush makes you a TERRORIST! Oh, and excuse the grammar.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Six - Night of the Sentinels  
  
"What do you think, Evan? Think I should get a hook?" Pyro asked. He walked with his friends through the streets, holding up his arm. They had treated him in a hospital, which, like everything else, was abandoned. It was fortunate that Wanda had some experience in medicine.  
  
"No way, get a little flamethrower."  
  
"Alright, a little flamethrower! You know, in all seriousness, I think I might do that… if I can find a little flamethrower." Suddenly, a cloud of fire appeared. Surprised, they all dropped to the floor.  
  
"Speak of the devil, huh?"  
  
"No need to fear, mates!" Facing them were Magma, Colossus and Berzerker. "Ain't seen these guys before, though."  
  
"I have…" Wanda said. "Pyro, you take Magma."  
  
"Which one's Magma?"  
  
"Oh, right. The girl is Magma. The big metal guy is Colossus. The other guy is Berzerker. Tabby, you take him. Evan and I will fight Colossus."  
  
"Not a problem!" Before they could begin, a giant foot stepped between them, a giant metal foot.  
  
"Holy… what is that?!" The Sentinel looked down at them, yellow eyes glowing on a black face void of any other features. It looked down at them carefully.  
  
"It's a Sentinel! Run!" Wanda screamed. Both sides fled in opposite directions, and the Sentinel was unsure which team to follow. Having analyzed both teams, it decided to go for the strongest first. It specifically followed Colossus and loaded its arm-mounted cannon.  
  
"Beast! We have a Sentinel!" Colossus yelled in a thick Russian accent. A earplug-like device served as a radio between Beast and his troops.  
  
"Yes, Colossus, that was the plan…"  
  
"No! You do not understand! It is after us!"  
  
"What? Colossus, you worthless cretin! I told you to activate those cloaking devices!"  
  
"We did! They are not working!"  
  
"What? Then… then something new has been added… abort the mission! Return to base!"  
  
"The Sentinel is blocking our way back to the ship!"  
  
"Alright then… it's a stretch, but try to get to the base there, the one Scarlet Witch and Mystique's boy escaped from…"  
  
"Yes, Beast! Come! We are to go to the base!" As the Sentinel followed Colossus and the others, Wanda, Pyro, Tabby and Evan ducked into an alley.  
  
"Okay, what is that thing and why is it after us?" Tabby screamed.  
  
"It's a Sentinel, it hunts mutants. It probably belongs to Trask. My father told me he built the first prototype."  
  
"We could've taken it." Pyro said.  
  
"No, we couldn't. That thing is armed to the teeth." They heard an explosion in the distance. "If only the others were here…"  
  
"Hey, since it's going after those other guys, maybe we should make a run for it," Evan suggested. They all agreed and ran.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Colossus, Magma and Berzerker had reached the Mexican base hidden in a cave just outside the city. In the distance, the Sentinel continued walking towards them, deciding not to use its jet boosters for some reason.  
  
Once inside the base, they activated the communications console in the lab where Scott and Wanda had broken out of. Moments later, Beast appeared on the large screen. Behind him, Apocalypse watched something off-screen with Mastermind.  
  
"Wha-? Oh, Colossus. I see you made it back."  
  
"Yes, Beast. We have evaded the Sentinel."  
  
"Alright. Stay there. The base is cloaked. The Sentinel will go after the nearest mutants, so once he's decided to go after Scarlet Witch, you can make your escape. Understood?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Good. Now, I have other matters to tend to." Beast disappeared. Colossus withdrew his metal coating and sat down on the floor. Magma and Berzerker sat down with him, but they all remained silent. There was nothing they had to say to each other. Colossus sighed, and closed his eyes.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Scott awoke in a large, comfortable bed. His glasses were already on him, but this was a given. He sat up and looked around his room. Large windows close to the ceiling let the morning light into the room. There was a metal door opposite the bed.  
  
"About fucking time something good happens to me." There was a knock on the door. "Come in."  
  
"Scott, where the hell are we?" Pietro asked.  
  
"Well good morning to you too, ass. I don't know and I don't care."  
  
"No, really. All the other doors are locked and I'm too short to see through the windows."  
  
"Does it matter?"  
  
"Have you forgotten that that guy with the metal wings gassed us?!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Alright, let's try to see where we are."  
  
"Good morning," a raspy, monotone voice called from the door. Tall, pale and fairly thin, the mutant Caliban wore a formal a dress suit with a black tie. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know you had… company. I will leave you alone. Enjoy yourselves."  
  
"No, wait! It's not what it looks like!" Scott yelled. Caliban stepped back in, followed by a woman in a casual black dress. Callisto's beautiful, slightly curly black hair seemed to bounce as she walked. Scott already hated these two.  
  
"You'll have to excuse my husband Caliban, he's a bit of a comedian. I am Callisto."  
  
"Please to meet you," Pietro said through clenched teeth. "Tell me. Where are we?"  
  
"Our home. More specifically, you're in Ireland."   
  
"We know you have questions," Caliban said. "Breakfast will be served shortly. We will explain everything then. Please, come with us."  
  
-------------------------------  
  
The Sentinel prepared its missile launcher as it approached the fleeing group of mutants. Evan fired several spikes, but none penetrated the Sentinel's hard armor. As it marched forward, four missiles flew out of its right arm, each aimed at a different mutant. Wanda raised her arms and they flew right back at the Sentinel. The four mutants watched as it toppled backwards with fire and smoke flowing out of its chest.  
  
"Well, that was easy," Pyro said. The Sentinel fell with a hard thud, but then there was a second thud, and a third. "What the-?"  
  
"Fuck! FUCK!" Evan and the others turned around and gasped in horror. A second and third Sentinel walked marched towards them.   
  
"It called for backup! This doesn't look good… okay then," Wanda said, "We'll just have to outrun them."  
  
"You sure that's possible?!" Evan yelled. The second Sentinel had already activated its laser turret. Wanda had to concentrate in order to dissolve the laser blasts, but now the others were vulnerable. The third Sentinel took advantage of the situation and opened its machine gun turret. The others scrambled to avoid the bullet fire, but it seemed to be following Pyro more than the others. Tabby and Evan quickly climbed into an apartment building and to the fourth floor and watched from open windows. The Sentinel stopped to reload, and Evan threw a spike right at the Sentinel's eye. Its attention was now directed towards Evan. As it turned towards him, Tabby threw a large bomb into the turret. The explosion hurled them both towards the wall and the Sentinel fell against the building on the other side of the street. The burning turret was disconnected and fell off the Sentinel's arm. It raised the other arm to fire its mutant-chasing missiles.  
  
On the ground, Pyro took control of the fire on the turret and forced it to the Sentinel's leg. Noticing its burning leg, the Sentinel activated a miniature fire extinguisher from its kneecap, but a well-aimed spike caused the pressurized container to explode.   
  
"Are you guys almost done over there?!" Wanda called. "I can't hold this one much longer!"  
  
"Yeah, Wanda, it's cake!" Evan yelled sarcastically. The Sentinel activated another extinguisher from its other kneecap, but it was out of the fire's reach. By now, the fire had already climbed to the Sentinel's thigh. It paused for a moment, and the burning shell coverings fell off. The Sentinel's leg was quite thin for its size, now only the internal structure and basic components.   
  
"Ain't getting off THAT easily, mate!" Pyro simply used the same trick again, and now the Sentinel's leg caught fire… again. "Mind wearing it down for me?"  
  
"No problem!" Evan and Tabby fired spikes and bombs at the fragile leg. In a few short seconds, the leg gave way and the Sentinel fell to the ground.   
  
"That's the end of him," Tabby declared, dusting her hands. The Sentinel shed the second leg and held itself up with its arms, but it couldn't manage to get back up. With most of its weapons concentrated in its arms and its chest facing down, the Sentinel could do little. Pyro jumped onto its back, dancing triumphantly.  
  
"Hey! You guys going to help me or what?" Wanda yelled.  
  
"OH! Right. Forgot all about that!" Evan and Tabby quickly made their way to ground level and followed Pyro to Wanda's aid… however, a silver blur flew into the Sentinel's head and exploded. The headless Sentinel stopped its barrage and fell over. The armor-clad Cannonball climbed out of the wreckage.  
  
"Sam? What are you doing here?"  
  
"Last minute rescue!" Alex yelled. He stood at the door of a helicopter-like aircraft hovering several feet in the air. Gambit sat at the controls with Rahne next to him. "Climb in!"  
  
-------------------------------  
  
General Trask, flanked by six soldiers, arrived at the Indian base at about nightfall. Past secure doors, Trask met with the young man called Arcade in a domed chamber with a large cylindrical machine.  
  
"General Trask, sir."  
  
"Get to work on this disk, Arcade," Trask said. He didn't bother greeting him and handed him the disk. Arcade inserted it into a small laptop computer.  
  
"Yes… these are the plans, sir. Have you ordered any more Sentinels?"  
  
"A few backup units. I was waiting for you to build this before I made any more."  
  
"Okay. It shouldn't take longer than a day to get a prototype up and running… sir, my team is ready to begin."  
  
"I expected they'd be. I've brought a Sentinel head with me for you to experiment on. Now, this little upgrade will do what, exactly?"   
  
Arcade wanted to roll his eyes. To him, this was a simple device, but he had to remember that few non-mutants were smart enough to understand such complex ideas.  
  
"It analyzes a mutant's genetic code and creates a magnetic field to counter the effects the mutation may have on the mutant's mind. Now, when it does this, it will do one of three things, and according to the design, they seem to happen at random. It can either produce a counter-shield that reflects mutant attacks back at them, completely cancel out the mutant's power while it stays a certain distance from the Sentinel, or in some cases, shut down the mutant's brain altogether. The coding is vague, but that seems to apply mainly to mutants with mind-based powers… you know, your telekinetic, pyrokinetics, telepaths, and so forth. With some tweaking, I could probably get it to work on geoshapers and teleporters."  
  
"I see. You have three days, Arcade." Trask walked out of the chamber, followed by his guards. Another soldier approached him with a clipboard.  
  
"General Trask, sir."  
  
"Yes, Captain?"  
  
"We have run the screening on our troops, sir."  
  
"Great. How many mutant spies do we have THIS time?" A regular procedure of the Pure Blood movement was an enforcement of its primary philosophy. Soldiers were tested for the X-Factor gene at random times through blood analysis. This was more important in younger cadets that could possibly develop their mutations while in service, but Trask knew that mutants could be very deceitful. There had been many instances of a shape-shifting mutant posing as a soldier to gain information, or whatever it was they were after, Trask didn't particularly care. All he cared about was weeding out the mutants and executing them.  
  
"Actually, only one. Private Doug McGregor."  
  
"McGregor? No, he's a good kid. Couldn't be a mutant. Too well-mannered."  
  
"That's how they all start, sir."  
  
"Well you can't pick your enemies, can you? See to it that the boy is executed."  
  
"You'll do no such thing," a soldier behind Trask snarled. He turned around to see who had made such a comment, but the moment he turned to face him, the soldier grabbed him by the neck and pulled him off the ground. Trask could feel the man's nails digging into his skin… nails? No, these had to be claws.  
  
"So it looks like we missed one, Captain, good job." The other soldiers aimed their rifles at the larger soldier holding Trask up. "You fools, he's a mutant! How do you know he won't catch your bullets and fire them back at you? Stand down. So what can I do for you, mutie?"  
  
The large soldier removed his helmet and revealed his short but wild brownish-blonde hair. He had no facial hair, but when he spoke, his sharp teeth were a dead giveaway of his true nature.   
  
"I prefer to be called by a proper name," the man growled. "Sabretooth is a name I've grown fond of. Now it's time you and I had a nice little chat."  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Mystique held baby Kevin while Forge held a metal cylinder over him, connected by a wire into a portable machine in Forge's other hand.  
  
"He's enhanced, alright. The machine's not picking up on what his powers could be."  
  
"Does your device detect more… subtle mutations? Extra hair, perhaps? Increased intelligence? Misshapen liver?"  
  
"This thing picked up on my sixth toe."  
  
"Your…"  
  
"Kidding. I invented this thing this morning. I don't even have toes anymore."  
  
"Right…" Mystique couldn't see what was funny about that. "There must be something important about him."  
  
"Well, there's certainly something special about him." Forge moved closer to baby Kevin and made funny faces which caused a high-pitched giggle. "It must be great to have children."  
  
"It's rough, but worthwhile."  
  
"I'll never know what it's like."  
  
"Oh? Keep looking, Forge. You're not an ugly man. I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding a wife."  
  
"It's not that. I'm sterile. It's one of my mutations."  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."  
  
"I knew this before I had any ambitions of having kids, or even finding a woman. I guess that's helped me deal with it… if you don't mind my asking, who is Kurt and Marie's father?"  
  
"Oh." Mystique seemed a little uncomfortable.  
  
"If you don't want to, you-"  
  
"No, it's fine. He was just a man I met a few years back. He was a government agent of sorts, and well, I was still hiding the fact that I was a mutant. We never married, and he left when I showed him what I was, shortly after Rogue was born. As fate would have it, he was one of the first to be killed by the Horsemen."  
  
"I'm so sorry, Mystique."  
  
"These things just happen." Mystique gave baby Kevin his bottle. "We move on. "  
  
"You're a good mother, Mystique. Has anyone told you that?"  
  
"Only my children," Mystique laughed. "They do have their problems, but I like to think that I raised them right. Now that you're done scanning the baby like King Magnus ordered, maybe you can get to work fixing that detection system."  
  
"Actually, it's taken care of." Forge pressed a button on his mechanical arm. A small text message appeared on a tiny screen. "I increased its range, but it just takes a while to get going. It's already past Australia, but it hasn't picked up any of ours."  
  
"Oh. Well… thank you, Forge." Mystique paused for a moment. "For the machine and… for talking."  
  
"Hey, we have to stick together." Forge checked the screen once more. "Wha… there's four signatures heading this way… it's Alex and Wanda!"  
  
"What about Scott? Shouldn't he have been with Wanda?"  
  
"None of the others are with them, but they've got three of our old students with them, and three others. I'm surprised it didn't pick them up earlier. It must have glitches briefly. I'll have to check that."   
  
"I'm busy with Kevin. Go tell Magnus, will you?"  
  
"Right." Forge left the lab and headed down the hall to Magneto's room. His metal hand knocking on the metal door produced an unnatural sound that Forge told himself he would never get use to.   
  
"Enter."  
  
"Magnus, we've picked up Wanda and Alex's signatures. They're heading this way with Remy, Rahne and Sam."  
  
"I hope Wanda is unharmed. Let's greet them, then." A few minutes later, Magneto and Forge stood at the entrance to the Institute, which was just a circular metal opening in the ground, surrounded by concrete and abandoned buildings. The helicopter had landed, and the passengers stepped out.  
  
"Father!" Wanda rushed to Magneto and jumped on him with her arms around his neck. Ordinarily, she would not show such outward emotion towards her father, but after what she'd gone through, she was too glad to be home to care.  
  
"Wanda, where have you been? I've been worried."  
  
"It's a long story… anyway, this is Pyro, Tabby and Evan. They helped me out this last week."  
  
"Your dad is Magneto?!"   
  
"Yes, didn't I tell you?"  
  
"Pyro and I have met before," Magneto explained, then turned to Alex. "Havok, I am glad to see you safe, but where are the others?"  
  
"Apocalypse has them… they're in Germany. We'll have to go back for them."  
  
"We will. Forge, prepare the Blackbird."  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Beast turned away from the small view screen on the console in front of him to watch, along with Apocalypse and Mastermind, as the other X-Men along with Rogue and Toad were brought in by Wolverine. They all wore nullification collars and as a precaution, handcuffs and shackles. The room was the same lab that they had all been in before, except that now the advancer tubes were behind a black curtain.  
  
"So good to see you," Mastermind said to the group. "Today, you will witness an important chapter in the history of the reign of En Sabah Nur, Apocalypse. For today, Kurt Darkholme takes his first step into the future. Today, Kurt Darkholme will join our ranks, toda-"  
  
"Enough," Apocalypse said. "Begin." The curtain was raised. Kurt was bound inside one of the advancer tubes, metal handcuffs holding his hands behind him and a metal collar holding him via a chain attached to the floor of the tube. Beast activated the machine.  
  
"GET HIM OUT!" Rogue screamed. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO HIM!"  
  
"You son of a bitch!" Toad yelled at Mastermind. "Let my brother out of there, NOW!"  
  
"I'm afraid I can't do that, son. This is not under my control. I am but a servant," Mastermind told him in mock-sorrow.  
  
"You're a monster!"  
  
"If it's a monster you want…" Mastermind motioned towards Kurt. Wolverine crossed his arms as the machine powered up. Kurt screamed for his life and pounded at the glass. In moments, he was engulfed in a red light so bright that he disappeared in it. The others could only stand by and listen to his screams. Soon the screams became low as his voiced was suddenly changed.  
  
"Unlike Magneto's enhancer," Beast explained, "This machine doesn't just bring out the full potential of a mutant. It takes it much further. Ah, the process is complete. See for yourself the power of Cyttorak." The red light disappeared. Kurt Darkholme was no longer inside the tube.  
  
"Kurt…" Toad whispered. "No… NO!"  
  
Apocalypsed smiled wickedly.  
  
  
  
  
  
Ah, more mysteries! Who are Caliban and Callisto, and how did they save Scott and Pietro? What's on Colossus's mind? What does Sabretooth want with Trask? What happened to Kurt? Mwahaha! 


	8. Scott's Mission and the Hunt

Kick! Punch! It's all in the mind! Here, we reach a turning point in the story, and things can only get better from here. I dunno... maybe it'll progress to the point where it becomes "good." Yes, let's hope so. Oh, and excuse the grammar.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Seven - Scott's Mission and the Hunt  
  
Scott sipped some cranberry juice at the breakfast table. Pietro sat next to him, eating scrambled eggs with sausage. Caliban and Callisto sat across from them, eating some kind of pastry Scott didn't recognize.  
  
"So just why are we here" Scott asked.  
  
"You see, we have an agreement with Apocalypse," Callisto explained. Immediately, Scott and Pietro got up. "Oh, don't worry. Please, sit down. We're neutral in this war of his. He's agreed to let us have all this wealth and property and to protect us from enemies so long as humanity exists."  
  
"Once the humans are wiped out," Caliban explained in his monotone rasp, "Then our protection is void. For what reason, we are not certain. However, the Horseman Death brought you both here to keep you safe. He seems concerned for your safety."  
  
"Death? The guy with the metal wings?" Pietro asked.  
  
"Yes," Callisto replied. "Before he became a Horseman, he was an associate of ours, a fellow aristocrat. The other Horsemen were not present when you were brought here, so we can only assume that he wants this to be kept a secret."  
  
"So long as you remain here, Apocalypse cannot destroy humankind. He would not elaborate, but we will have to keep you here, to protect you and to protect ourselves."  
  
"I'm getting sick of this," Scott said. "Everywhere I go, someone wants to keep me somewhere! What am I, a parrot? I'm not some pet you can just lock up! I'm outta here."  
  
"You're not going anywhere."  
  
"Wha… fuck! Juggernaut!" The massively built Cain Marko entered the dining room, wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Cain was a wealthy but uncultured man. He was not born into high society, but rather inherited it. When his brother Charles Xavier had died, Cain received some of his fortune as his only living relative, though the rest was taken by the United States government. When the government collapsed, Cain took back what was his, and more.  
  
"So you've met Dr. Marko before?"  
  
"DOCTOR?! Doctor of what, demolition?"  
  
"Dr. Marko is an archaeologist," Callisto explained. "He has his temper tantrums, but he's not a bad man."  
  
"You," Cain said. "You're the little punk who threw that cigarette butt in my mouth. I haven't forgotten that."  
  
"Er… look, it was an accident! How was I supposed to know you were napping under that bridge?"  
  
"Scott, Dr. Marko, please," Callisto interrupted. "You're acting like humans. Try to maintain some civility."  
  
"So these are the two Warren brought us. You know, that jerk can't do anything right. Least he could've done was bring a cute girl."  
  
"Dr. Marko…"  
  
"Fine. I'm going out to relieve some stress." Cain walked out of the dining room. It seemed like the floor shook a bit as he did.   
  
"Oh, that's no good," Caliban said. A lizard-like mutant servant without a nose walked up to Caliban and whispered something to him. "Thank you. Scott, Pietro… you seek to find Wanda Lehnsherr, correct?"  
  
"Yeah, we do," Scott said. He was quick to answer and Pietro raised an eyebrow.  
  
"We can help you." Caliban got up from the table. "Come with us, please." Scott and Pietro followed Caliban and Callisto out of the dining room and down the hall decorated with numerous paintings and small statues.  
  
"Quite a collection," Pietro said.  
  
"Small trinkets." Caliban led them through a door at the end of the hall that seemed to lead to a dark basement. Once they had walked far enough into the dark, they noticed a light further down. Scott's glasses obscured his vision, but the closer they got, the more clear it became.  
  
"What the-?!" Several young boys, all identical in appearance, were working at several computers.  
  
"Jamie Madrox was brought here by the Horseman Death as well," Callisto explained. "Before Apocalypse wiped most of the human population out, the human military worked on a new form of communication using telephone lines. It is still used by Trask and his army for secure information transfer, but it was never fully developed, so a twelve-year-old mutant and ten of his artificially created duplicates can easily tap into this network and acquire information. Apocalypse himself requested that we do this for him. I'm not sure he really understands human technology."  
  
"So what does this have to do with Wanda?" Scott asked.  
  
"We have been using this opportunity to do some investigation of our own…" Caliban explained. "Trask's monitoring system has tracked Wanda from Mexico to New Zealand and now Iraq. She is currently moving north-west, along with other mutants… Alex Summers is among them."  
  
"So she's safe?" Scott asked.  
  
"Yes. She is safe, but not for long." Callisto pointed to a tracking map on the third Jamie's screen. "If this trajectory does not change, she and the others will be arriving in Europe shortly, passing by or possibly stopping in Northern Germany. Apocalypse maintains a base there."  
  
"What?!" Pietro screamed. "She's crazy! She's with Magneto, isn't she?"  
  
"Trask's technology cannot track enhanced mutants," Caliban said. "It has difficulty tracking most mutants as it is."  
  
"We're going to Germany, then!" Scott ordered.  
  
"Not so fast," Callisto said, standing in Scott's way. "You can't leave here."  
  
"I can't let Wanda walk into a trap!"  
  
"We will send someone to help her, but you have to stay here."  
  
"Fuck you! Outta my way!" Scott held the trigger to his glasses.   
  
"If you face Apocalypse alone, you will fail," Caliban warned him.  
  
"Better to die trying, don't you think?" Scott yelled back. "C'mon, Pietro. We're going."  
  
"What?! What do you want me for?! These guys want to keep me in this nice mansion here, and I'm not about to let them down."  
  
"Look, Pietro!" Scott yelled, grabbing Pietro by the collar. "I've had enough of your attitude! You want to end this now or you want to suffer later?!"  
  
"Does it matter?!"  
  
"YES IT MATTERS! Now come on!" Pietro reluctantly followed Scott up the stairs. The Jamies continued their work as Caliban and Callisto discussed what had just happened.  
  
"He takes after his mother," Callisto said.  
  
"We cannot control him. We might as well give them a transport."  
  
"Yes, and the journal."  
  
"The journal… I'd forgotten about it." Elsewhere on the grounds, the servants tried to stall Scott and Pietro.  
"You don't even know how to get there!" the noseless servant pleaded.  
  
"OUT OF MY WAY!" A larger, more human looking servant grabbed Scott's head with his large hands, covering his eyes. "HEY, HEY!"  
  
"Let him go," Callisto said. "Scott, Pietro, you can take our jet. We'll send a pilot with you, but he will return when he drops you off."  
  
"Thanks. About time you guys made sense."  
  
"One more thing." Callisto handed Scott a small, beaten, leatherbound book. "This is a journal from Dr. Marko's late colleague, the man who freed Apocalypse in the first place. Read it and study it. Without it, you don't stand a chance against Apocalypse."  
  
"Right, I'll do it… and…" Scott paused for a moment. "Thanks," he said reluctantly.  
  
"Good luck to you." Scott and Pietro were led to a hangar that contained, among other things, a small jet. The pilot accompanying them was the noseless, lizard-like servant called Lucid, wearing a loose-fitting suit and an odd pilot's hat.  
  
"Alright, just sit back," Lucid told them. Scott and Pietro sat in the passenger seats as Lucid prepared the jet for takeoff.  
  
"Hmm. Speed-reader, get to work on this." Scott handed Pietro the book.  
  
"Wha? Me? Oh, alright." Pietro looked at the book's cover: The Journal of Dr. Nathaniel Essex  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Forge sat at the controls of the X-Men's Blackbird with Magneto next to him. Forge had fitted the Blackbird with enhancements that allowed it to fly at extremely high speeds, but he had not developed a designed that could withstand traveling that fast. Magneto had to use his power to keep the ship together, so nobody ever said anything to him during these trips. Breaking his concentration would have catastrophic consequences for everyone onboard. Magneto would use his power to carry the ship himself, but even his power could not match the Blackbird's speed, and the sooner they reached Germany, the better.  
  
Behind Forge and Magneto, in the passenger seats, Mystique sat with baby Kevin, across from Alex and Cannonball. Behind Alex sat Tabby and Pyro, and behind them was Evan. Across from them, Wanda sat with Rahne, and behind her, Gambit kicked back with two seats to himself.  
  
"So how long until we get there?" Pyro asked.  
  
"Too long," Wanda said.   
  
"You guys better be careful," Gambit warned them. "Apocalypse is one bad mutant. Wrong move, and you're holding your head."  
  
"I can take him," Pyro said.  
  
"Oh, you think so, eh? You ain't never met him, have you?"  
  
"Well, no, but-"  
  
"Then shut your hole, boy. Let us men handle this."  
  
"Ahem," Mystique said.  
  
"Yeah, and Mystique… an' Wanda… an'… aw, fuck." Wanda just looked out the window. Wherever they were, it was getting dark. All she could think about was Scott. But why now? She hadn't thought that much about him before leaving Mexico. She looked out to see another ruined city below. This one still had some activity. Most likely mutants who had taken over the city after the humans had been evicted, so to speak. Just like the city where she and Scott had split…  
  
"Pyro," she called, distracting herself from her own thoughts, "Just how do you know my father?"  
  
"Oh, that's easy. He and my dad were close mates."  
  
"Your dad?"  
  
"Yeah. Martin Allerdyce, ever heard of him? He wrote books. I tried doing the same, but I just didn't inherit his talents.   
  
"Martin was a drunk," Mystique said.   
  
"Yeah, he was lots of things. I dunno why Magneto hung out with him."  
  
"He liked your father's books," Mystique explained. "Martin had a sort of obsession with the Shakespearean definition of tragedy. Magnus likes to think of himself as a powerful noble."  
  
"Magneto Rex," Pyro joked. "Ha. I think my dad might've written a book with that title."  
  
"You're all so damn boring," Gambit said. "You know, this is why none of you got nowhere. Always reading stupid books and talking about philosophy and all that boring shit. Pyro, you ever even kissed a girl?"  
  
"Uh… no, I haven't. Tabby's just here to make it look that way."  
  
"Aw, shut up, she's only with you cuz ain't nobody else around."  
  
"I don't see anyone sitting with you, Gambit."  
  
"That's cuz I ain't turned on the Gambit charm. Nothin' personal, but none of you ladies are my type." Gambit shrugged and shuffled his cards.  
  
"You play solitaire often?"  
  
"Hey, fuck you." Evan laughed. "You shut up, too, porcupine. I'll have you know that I-"  
  
"Quiet, all of you!" Magneto yelled. "I need to concentrate. We're almost there."  
  
-------------------------------  
  
General Trask sat in a chair at a table in a small room within the Indian base, across from Sabretooth. Sabretooth had demanded that the guards leave them alone, but Trask was wiser than that. His men were stationed at the door, ready to burst in on Trask's command, and Sabretooth had overlooked a hidden camera installed in an air vent.   
  
"So, Mr. 'Sabretooth.' What do you want?"  
  
"I want you to call off your little war."  
  
"I'm afraid I can't do that. Mr. 'Sabretooth,' are you employed by anyone, or are you here for your own reasons."  
  
"Doesn't matter. Call off this war. You don't want to fight Apocalypse."  
  
"I have met him, and he is nothing. I was expecting to die when I faced him, but all I got was a limp."  
  
"But what did he get?"  
  
"Well, he…"   
  
"Think about that, Trask. He let you get away so you could start this war. End it now, Trask. Dissolve this army and spread out."  
  
"You're insane. That's just what the enemy wants."  
  
"You're not going to listen to me, are you?"  
  
"You're a mutant. I have no reason to. Now, are you going to leave or am I going to have to have you escorted."  
  
"I thought you were a reasonable man, Trask. I'm going to have to end this myself." Sabretooth threw the table aside and reached for Trask, who quickly rolled out of the way. Immediately, Trask's men rushed in, but Sabretooth pushed past them before any shots could be fire. They turned around to go after him, but he was already gone.  
  
"General Trask, are you alright, sir?" a soldier asked as Trask brushed himself off.  
  
"I'm fine. Just a mutant wacko who thinks he knows what's going on in the world. Get the tracker up, and make sure you take him out."  
  
Sabretooth walked through the jungle, but he didn't run. He knew he was being followed… in fact, he had counted on it.   
  
"Take him down!"  
  
"Surprise, surprise!" Sabretooth turned to face Trask's men. He rushed at them as they fired their rifles…  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Toad clung to a rather tall tree just outside of the castle had had been held in by Apocalypse. He looked around frantically, looking for anything out of the ordinary.  
  
"Aww… c'mon… where is everyone?!" After the experiment with Kurt, Apocalypse had let his prisoners out of the castle and let them run free. There was one very dangerous catch: they were being hunted.  
  
Toad looked down and finally saw a familiar face. Jean was walking around, constantly looking behind her. He knew he would regret it, but he didn't have many other options.  
  
"Yo, Jean!"  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"  
  
"Hey, whoa, calm down! It's me, Toad!" Toad jumped down to the ground. "Didn't mean to scare you like that… seen anyone else around?"  
  
"No, now fuck off."  
  
"Look Jean, we got our differences, right? But we gotta gotta stick together. Strength in numbers, right? So stick we stick together, we stay calm, we find the others."  
  
"I don't need your help, Toad! See those bushes? Why don't you go hop behind them and fuck yourself?"  
  
"Dammit, Jean, listen to me! You wanna get killed out here?! If we stay together and don't start shit against each other, we might have a chance!" Jean looked away. "You know, neither of us really wants to face it, but we ARE brother and sister. It's time we acted like it."  
  
"I can't trust you, Toad. Go find someone else to trick."  
  
"Fine, Jean. If you want to go about this all alone, go ahead. We could use each other's help, but if you don't want any of that, I guess that's just the way that's gotta be." Toad crouched down and prepared to hop away.  
  
"Wait!" Jean called. "Look, Toad. We'll work our problems out later, but for now, let's call a truce."  
  
"You got it. Now let's go find the others."  
  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Elsewhere in the forest, Rogue climbed up a tree-covered hill, hoping to find a higher vantage point and hopefully spot her allies. As she climbed up, she found Kate curled up against a tree, crying softly.  
  
"Kate? Are you alright?"  
  
"We're gonna die… we're gonna die."  
  
"Kate, we're not gonna die." Rogue wasn't used to giving reassurance to others, but there was nobody else around to help Kate. "Look, just stay with me. We'll get out of this alive."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Look, you don't always have to know things, you just know… I mean, you just feel it. I can feel that we're going to get out of this just fine."  
  
"But… but Kurt…"  
  
"Stop worrying! You're not just going to sit there and whine about it, are you?"  
  
"What else can I do?"  
  
"You can get some guts and help me look for the others, now come on." Rogue continued uphill. Kate got up, rubbed her eyes, and ran after her.  
  
"Wait for me! I'm coming, Marie!"  
  
"That's better. Hey, in case anything happens, get ready to phase us through trees, or something."  
  
"I… I will."  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Freddy charged through the forest, trying his best to squeeze between the trees, but mostly he ended up hitting them. He had only knocked one tree down, but the others were tilted at an angle that could fall at any moment. Freddy looked around desperately for his friends, not because he was afraid for himself, but for them. He was the strongest of all of them, and he could shrug off most attacks with ease. But what about Toad, Rogue and Kate? And what about Jean?  
  
"Freddy!" Jean yelled. She was hiding behind a tree, while Toad was stuck onto another tree.  
  
"He's coming this way! Freddy yelled. "Keep running, I've got your backs!" Jean quickly started running, and Toad hopped from tree to tree. They heard a crackling sound behind them, like thunder, and then the sound of a tree falling.  
  
"Freddy, watch out!" Freddy caught the tree he had loosened a moment before. When he saw what was on top of it, he began to regret it.  
  
The beast that stood on the fallen tree had once gone by the name of Kurt Darkholme. Now, he was known as Nightcrawler. He resembled a cross between a man, a cat, and a wolf, covered in dark blue fur that was short in some areas, but longer and shaggier in others, particularly his back. He had a short black mane growing from his head and the top of his back, and a whip-like tail behind him that ended in a strange pike shape. He no longer had feet or hands, only claws that vaguely resembled human parts. His face carried traces of Kurt Darkholme, but it was clear that he was no longer Kurt. He had grown a small, almost wolf-life snout with rows of sharp teeth, and his wears were brushed back near the top of his head, long and pointy. The second Freddy had caught the tree, Nightcrawler pounced at Jean. She pushed him away telekinetically, but Nightcrawler disappeared in a cloud of thick, black smoke. He reappeared in a bright white flash with a loud thunder-like crackle and landed right next to Jean. He turned his head and snarled, then Toad jumped onto his back and kicked off into the trees. Angered, Nightcrawler climbed after Toad.  
  
"Yo, snap out of it, bro!" Toad yelled. Nightcrawler roared back at him, not sounding like any other creature Toad had heard before. Nightcrawler's roar had the mighty bellow of a lion, but at the same time, the sinister hiss of a snake. Toad hopped away before the beast could maul him. Below, Freddy pounded at the tree and shook Nightcrawler down. In a dark puff of smoke and a bright white flash, Nightcrawler was on top of Freddy. Nightcrawler growled, and jumped off Freddy, shaking his head as he remembered that Freddy could not be damaged. Jean thrust her hands forward, and Nightcrawler flew against the tree with great force. He fell onto the floor and slowly got back up, shaking his head and whimpering slightly.  
  
"Now it's comin' after you!" Toad yelled. Nightcrawler pulled back and jumped at Jean, baring his fangs and brandishing his claws.  
  
"I don't think so!" Freddy had quickly moved between Jean and Nightcrawler as the monster jumped onto his chest and began to maul him mercilessly. Freddy flinched and grunted, and shook visibly from the attack. Freddy dropped to the ground and Nightcrawler, satisfied with the amount of work he had done, jumped off and clung to a nearby tree. Jean rushed to Freddy's said, and for the first time in her life, she watched him bleed. Somehow, Nightcrawler had been strong enough to pierce even Freddy's mutant skin.   
  
"Freddy, no! How could this happen?!"  
  
"He's too strong Jean… he's too strong…" While Jean sat with Freddy, Toad distracted Nightcrawler by hurling a glob of slime at him. Nightcrawler teleported away and appeared a few feet away from Toad with a vicious, sharp-toothed grin. A bolt of orange energy struck Nightcrawler in the face and knocked him on his side. Alex held his hand out a few feet away, with Gambit, Pyro and Wanda closeby.  
  
"Are you alright?" Alex asked.  
  
"We're cool… 'cept Fred."  
  
"He's wounded," Jean explained. "We need to get him to a hospital."  
  
"Pyro, take them back to the Blackbird," Wanda ordered. Jean used her telekinetic powers to lift the bleeding Freddy off the ground and carry him with her after Pyro.  
  
"Whoa, that's one nasty critter," Gambit remarked as Nightcrawler got back up.   
  
"Hey, that's my brother!" Toad yelled.   
  
"I see the resemblance." Toad sneered, then hopped after Jean and Freddy. "What do we do about this monster here, fearless leader?"  
  
"We keep him busy while help arrives!" Wanda yelled. She waved her fingers to keep Nightcrawler from getting back up, but somehow, he did. "Ah… what?!" Nightcrawler disappeared in a puff of black smoke.   
  
"This doesn't look good… let's find the others quickly!" Wanda ordered. Rahne and Cannonball arrived on the field. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Orders from Magneto," Rahne explained. "He said there was something else out here."  
  
"Alright then… let's keep looking!" As the group continued to search, Forge tended to Freddy aboard the Blackbird's cargo hold while Jean waited nervously. Toad sat next to her in the passenger hold.  
  
"It'll be okay," Toad said.  
  
"I don't know, Toad. Freddy's never been hurt like this before. I thought it was impossible."  
  
"Just calm down. That robot guy knows what he's doing."  
  
"I hope so. Freddy's really all I have, after you and your bastard dad ditched me. He's the only reason I even stay with the X-Men."  
  
"Hey, hey," Toad said. "I didn't ditch you, okay? My mom chose me, and your folks chose you, and we couldn't help that!"  
  
"We were supposed to stay together, Toad, but the moment some blue whore decides to adopt you, you go for it!"  
  
"May I remind you that I am sitting next to you," Mystique said through clenched teeth. "But thank you for reminding me why I decided not to adopt you." Forge stepped out of the cargo hold, pulling off bloody gloves.  
  
"How is he?" Jean asked. Forge's face was grim and serious. He ignored the rest and went straight to Magneto. He whispered something to him, and then Magneto's face became serious. Or rather, more serious.  
  
"What? What is it?! Tell me!"  
  
"I will tell her," Magneto told Forge. "Jean… he sustained significant damage to his vital organs. Forge will need to do a proper examination with his own equipment at the Institute, but from what he has seen, Fred does not have long to live."  
  
  
In the forest, Alex and Wanda led Gambit, Rahne and Cannonball in search of Rogue and Kate. They were surprised to find them both hiding in a tree.  
  
"It's okay, Kate," Wanda called. "Everything's fine."  
  
"I know!" Kate yelled. She jumped down and used her phasing ability to soften her landing. "Where's everyone else?"  
  
"Wha…" Wanda was surprised at Kate's sudden change in attitude. "Uh… back at the Blackbird. Cannonball, help Rogue down." Cannonball nodded and flew up into the tree, picked up Rogue, and flew back down. Rogue was a little shaken, but otherwise alright.  
  
"Havok, take Rogue and Kate back to the ship," Wanda ordered.   
  
"Right. This way, girls." As they disappeared into the forest, Wanda and the others stayed behind. "We still haven't found Kurt. Gambit, I heard Toad say something about his brother. What was it?"  
  
"He said he was deeper into the woods, this way!" Gambit led Wanda, Rahne and Cannonball further from the Blackbird and closer to the castle. After a few minutes, Gambit stopped. He looked around cautiously.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm not too sure, but I think this is a trap…"  
  
"A trap?"  
  
"Yep." Gambit took three cards from his coat, holding them between his fingers, and charged them. Rahne went into full-wolf mode, and Cannonball readied himself to launch. Several feet away from them, Mesmero appeared. He cackled as he waved his hand. It was only then that Wanda noticed.  
  
Her allies were all facing her.  
  
"Come quietly, or we'll have to let Mesmero bring you in." A sly, evil grin appeared on Gambit's face. Wanda brought her hands up, but Cannonball rammed into her lightly, but hard enough to knock her over. Mesmero stood over her, and the world went black.  
  
  
The devastated Jean cried into Toad's shoulder as Magneto looked out of the Blackbird.  
  
"Wanda is not yet back," he told Forge. "Her radio has stopped working. This is strangely familiar."  
  
"So do we send another team?"  
  
"Yes. I will take Havok and Tabitha with me. If we do not make contact in ten minutes, take the Blackbird back to the Institute and make sure to re-examine Stalwart."  
  
"Yes… yes, sir." Magneto, Alex and Tabby set out on foot to look for Wanda and the others. Not long into their search, Magneto signaled for the others to stop.  
  
"There is something else here." A white flash and thunderclap later, Nightcrawler jumped towards Magneto. Magneto somehow forced Nightcrawler away from him. "Kurt."  
  
"What?! That's Kurt Darkholme?!"  
  
"Yes. The product of enhancement and twisted engineering by Apocalypse. We will storm the base." Magneto took their hands and they flew out of the forest and onto the castle, which was suddenly devoid of activity. "Stay close. Kurt is not the only surprise Apocalypse will have in store for us." Magneto, Alex and Tabby made their way into the castle itself, walking through a foyer tunnel of some sort, and came upon a metal door at the end.   
  
"Must be the entrance," Tabby said.  
  
"Nope, it's the exit!" Gambit yelled. He appeared from behind them, along with Colossus and Wolverine.  
  
"A trap?" Magneto said. The metal door opened, and Mesmero waved his hands in an attempt to invade Magneto's mind. "You have tried this before, Mesmero. Your powers have no effect on me."  
  
"Indirectly, no." Alex aimed his hand at Magneto's head, and Tabby held a bomb in each hand. "Come with us."  
"A crude plan. You forget who you're dealing with." Magneto quickly rolled out of their way and used his powers to take control of Colossus.  
  
"Hmm. Didn't think you could work bio-metal," Wolverine said. He drew his claws and jumped over Colossus, but Magneto moved out of the way before his attack could connect. Alex aimed an orange bolt, but Magneto absorbed it within a small cloud of magnetic energy. He forced Colossus to knocked Alex and Tabby's heads with his fists to knock them out quickly. He turned Colossus on Gambit and Wolverine, whose attacks could not penetrate the thick metal covering the massive mutant. Wolverine stayed to the side as Colossus punched Gambit in the chest and then threw him across the hall. Magneto lifted Colossus into the air and pinned Wolverine under him.  
  
"Release Havok and Tabitha," Magneto told Mesmero. Mesmero continued to attempt an invasion of Magneto's mind. "It's no use. I am too far advanced for a mere psychic attack, Mesmero."  
  
"Then what about two?" Mastermind caught him by surprise from behind and placed his hands on the sides of Magneto's head. With their combined powers, Mastermind and Mesmero penetrated Magneto's mental defenses. Magneto collapsed on the stone floor, and Colossus stood up and picked him up.  
  
"All things considered, I think we worked well together," Mastermind told Mesmero, who just shrugged.  
  
  
  
  
What's in Dr. Essex's journal? Who is Sabretooth working for? Could Freddy really be dying? Has Magneto fallen to the power of Apocalypse, and if he has, who is going to stop him? 


	9. The Drums of War

Okay, okay, okay... THIS is the turning point in the story. After this chapter, things WILL get bloody. Those wondering where Mr. Sinister is... he's dead. Last chapter, he was called "the late Dr. Essex," so yeah, he's gone. But don't fret, kiddies! His journal lives on! I'll get to that eventually. Oh, and excuse the grammar.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Eight - The Drums of War  
  
Scott sat back in his chair with his eyes closed. He wasn't anywhere near as calm as he looked, but he figured it was best not to tell Pietro and the pilot, Lucid.  
  
"So where are you boys from?" Lucid asked.  
  
"Reading," Pietro replied.  
  
"I see. And you?"  
  
"Napping."  
  
"Ah. Yes, I've been to both those places, but I can't ever seem to stay as long as I'd like. We'll reach our destination in a few… ah. No…" Lucid looked at a display screen. "An hour. We'll be there in an hour."  
  
"Pietro, what've you found?"  
  
"I've found that this Essex guy is looney. He keeps talking about some Egyptian guy named En Sabah Nur. I thought this was supposed to be about Apocalypse."  
  
"You idiot." Scott took the journal from Pietro's hands. "En Sabah Nur is Apocalypse's real name. Now let me see what else Dr. Essex knew." Pietro sighed and looked out the window. He noticed that they were flying over the ocean without a single mass of land visible for miles.  
  
"Uh… where are we going?"  
  
"Just got word from Ms. Callisto that Apocalypse has relocated. We're going to the Spanish base."  
  
"Spain? Interesting. I've never been to Spain. Hey four-eyes, you think Spanish women would go for me?"  
  
"No. Especially if there aren't any left."  
  
"Gotta be some Spanish mutant chicks. Hey Lucid, you know how much of Spain's population is left?"  
  
"Ah…" Lucid took a moment to think. "Not much, really, but I think it's all concentrated around Apocalypse's base."  
  
"Just how many bases does this guy have?"  
  
"Exactly seventy-two. There are six major bases, in Germany, Mexico, Spain, Thailand, Japan and Africa. There's a bit of a pattern, all his bases are in the north of a country. The biggest one is in Africa, he's got a very large concentration of troops there, and the second is Japan, but he rarely goes there. Japan and Spain seem to be prototypes for new mutant metropolises, since he's built small cities around both of his bases, but there aren't many actual troops in Spain. I myself have been to the Japanese center on various errands. The masters have a taste for foreign dishes, so I fly there and stock up on the necessary ingredients from time to time. We would grow a lot of the crop and livestock ourselves, but the climate in Ireland is just so different, we haven't managed anything."  
  
"Yeah, thanks for the life story," Scott said, not looking away from the journal. "Lucid, you do any research on En Sabah Nur?"  
  
"Not really, no. Not too interested in politics, myself. I'm just a simple servant, after all."  
  
"Just say 'no' next time, huh?"  
  
"Well, there is one thing I know about him, he likes psychological torture. He likes making his victims do weird things. Heard he once made a man kill his own mother."  
  
"That isn't making this sound any easier," Pietro said. "I mean… Wanda."  
  
"Yeah, Wanda…" Scott stared off into space for a moment. "Anyway, I better pay attention to this book." Pietro leaned back in his chair and went to sleep.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
General Trask walked through the Indian jungle, accompanied by twelve armed men. A path of damaged and fallen trees led him straight to the bloody graveyard of six of his own soldiers. Bullet holes lines the trees, but there was absolutely no sign of Sabretooth. Trask looked down at his men, some with deep gashes in their chests, some with entire arms and legs missing, one without a head, which didn't appear to be at the site.  
  
"This is what we're fighting, gentlemen," Trask told his men. "Monsters, killing machines. Vicious animals incapable of reasoning, always taking violence over peace. If there was any doubt in your mind, this horrible act will surely remove it." Trask took a radio from his belt. "Arcade, status report."  
  
"Hmm? Oh. It's done, General. Finished it about a minute ago."  
  
"Already?"  
  
"Yeah. It doesn't take long to install. I was going to use the rest if these three days to analyze it and send construction plans to the factories."  
  
"Good, good." Several hours later, Trask stood inside one of the base's hangars with Arcade. The upgraded Sentinel head had been mounted on a jeep. Arcade had a control panel in his hands, connected to the Sentinel head by various wires and cables.  
  
"Okay, it's ready to go," Arcade told the general.  
  
"Good. Bring in the test subject." The side door opened, and young Private McGregor was brought in by two soldiers. "Private Doug McGregor, a wolf in sheep's clothing. Did you think you could sneak into our ranks unnoticed?"  
  
"I'm not a mutant!" McGregor protested.  
  
"But you are! The Sentinel even thinks so. What do you think it's going to do about that?" McGregor said nothing. "You know, it's funny. You were the one who retrieved the XT upgrade system from those mutant spies we had weeded out last month, and now, as you're revealed to be a spy yourself, you're about to become the first victim of the new Sentinel XT." Trask motioned for the guards to set McGregor free. "I am a reasonable man. You are free to use your mutations to defend yourself against the XT, and should you live, you are free to go."  
  
"This isn't right, General. I didn't choose to be a mutant."  
  
"And I wasn't given the choice to fight this war, but it has to be done. No, let us begin." The XT's head-mounted cannons appeared from the sides, but did not fire. "Defend yourself!"  
  
"I don't know how!"  
  
"Don't play dumb, mutant!" The XT fired a stream of bullets, hitting a crate behind McGregor and knocking him forward and onto the ground. McGregor stood up, but the XT's anti-mutant field stopped him, and he fell right back down again. There was a brief flash of light from him, but then it disappeared, and he lay motionless.   
  
"The Sentinel isn't reading anything," Arcade said. "No brainwave pattern at all. It killed him."  
  
"Good. Very good." A wide grin grew on Trask's face. A soldier went to McGregor's body to inspect it, but as he reached down, his hand passed right through. Moments later, the body faded away and disappeared completely. "What the devil?!" Trask yelled in outrage. "Where did he go?"  
  
"Hmm… I've studied this. Dead mutants, particularly mutants with psionic abilities, have been known to leave mental imprints, sort of like ghost images. On rare occasions, psionic mutants disappear altogether when they die. A friend of mine calls it Psi-Ghosting."  
  
"But… he is dead?"  
  
"Yes. That was just an image imprint. We get him."  
  
"Then that's good. Arcade, I am sending these XT models into mass production."  
  
  
The factories in Canada and Saudi Arabia had downloaded the plans for the XT system and added it to a third of their Sentinels, as the resources necessary for the upgrade weren't readily available. The XT Sentinels were not painted the standard red color; only the black paint was added, leaving the parts that would be red a shiny silver color. This was Colonel Matthews's idea.  
  
"You have found Apocalypse's stronghold?" Matthews asked.  
  
"Northern Spain. He has many mutants with him."  
  
"Even with this enhancement, I'm afraid it won't be enough," Matthews told Trask as they watched Sentinels being assembled by workers and machines in the final staging area of the Canadian factory. "There are just too many of them."  
  
"I'll admit I have my doubts, Colonel," Trask replied, "But this is our only chance. If these new Sentinels don't win the war, then humanity is finished."  
  
-------------------------------  
  
"WHAT?!" Mystique yelled. They had returned to the Institute as Magneto had requested, and Forge had to break the news to Mystique about Kurt's condition. Toad took baby Kevin as Mystique wrecked whatever she could in Forge's lab. "HOW COULD HE DO THIS?! MAGNETO BETTER BE DEAD, BECAUSE IF I SEE HIM AGAIN I WILL RIP HIS SKIN FROM HIS BODY!"  
  
"Raven, please…"  
  
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE FORGE?! OF COURSE YOU DON'T! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"  
  
"Raven, this wasn't what Magneto had in mind. He's probably been captured himself, maybe even killed. We can't panic right now!"  
  
"I think it's better if we let her work her anger out," Toad said. He left the lab with Forge and baby Kevin as Mystique continued to pound and kick anything she could. When most of Forge's machinery had been destroyed, she fell to the ground and her anger became sorrow.  
  
From the hallway, the others could hear Mystique sobbing. It had been a rough day for Forge. Having lost most of his teammates and his leader, and then tell Mystique about her son's mutation. The only luck he had was with Freddy. A further inspection revealed that he would live, but would not recover from his injuries. Though Jean was visibly distraught, Forge could tell that she was happy that he would live. Pyro, Evan, Rogue and Kate sat in the cafeteria, having themselves some leftovers.   
  
"Well, it looks like I'm going to have to serve as acting leader," Forge said to them. "We'll have to wait a few days before we can get anything done. Mystique damaged most of my equipment, so I'll have to be in there making repairs."  
  
"What about Tabby?" Pyro asked. "What happened to her?"  
  
"I don't know, Pyro, but I'm not going to sugarcoat it. If Magneto didn't return, I doubt she found a better fate." Pyro nodded solemnly. Rogue took this to mean that Alex was included in his observation.  
  
"They're probably slaves to Apocalypse," Evan said. "He likes to take the people you care about and poison their minds. Face it, we can't hold on to anything anymore."  
  
"Don't talk like that," Forge told him. "We'll get them back, all of them. Even your aunt."  
  
"How?!"  
  
"I… I don't know yet, but we will." In the infirmary, Jean sat next to Freddy. She had requested to be left alone with him.  
  
"So they told you," Freddy said dryly. His voice was slightly forced, as it was becoming difficult for him to breathe. "I won't be able to fight with you guys again."  
  
"All that matters is that you're alive."  
  
"I guess… I feel useless now. All I could give this team was some extra muscle, but now that's over."  
  
"Freddy, you're far from useless. You're the only person who means anything to me anymore. If you're not going to stay with the X-Men, neither am I."  
  
"You can't quit just for me, Jean. Magneto needs you. You gotta fight for Xavier's dream."  
  
"Fuck Xavier's dream. Humans are pretty much gone. What are we fighting for now? It's useless."  
  
"So you're just gonna give up? Listen, Jean. You need something to look forward to, even if it's not realistic." Freddy took a deep breath. "I know Xavier was crazy, and so is Magneto, but there's not much left. Apocalypse's destroyed everything else. If nothing else, just stay because you have nothing better to do."  
  
"I'm only staying as long as you do."  
  
"Then I guess I'm still an X-Man." Freddy smiled and rested his head against his pillow. Forge walked in through the metal door.  
  
"Freddy needs to rest. Excuse us, Jean."  
  
"Right," Jean watched Forge carefully as she left the room. As soon as she was gone, Forge's shape changed to that of Mystique.  
  
"Er… Mystique?"  
  
"Fred, what did you see at Apocalypse's castle?" Forge asked.  
  
"He's advancing mutants, like that machine Magneto has. That's what he did to Kurt."  
  
"Do you know if there's any way to reverse it?"  
  
"Not really sure," Freddy said. "I think it might work like Magneto's machine. Counter-radiation reverses the effect, but it's hard to get it to work right. I remember Gambit volunteered for it a while back, but he decided he didn't like being enhanced. It'd be tricky to get Kurt to sit still."  
  
"Yes…" Mystique looked at the x-rays on the light board. "He's grown strong."  
  
"You don't to tell me that. I'm sorry this happened, Mystique."  
  
"I'm sorry I agreed to this. I'm going to have to use the others to turn Kurt back to normal."  
  
"What? How?" Mystique replied by morphing back into Forge.  
  
"In Magneto's absence, I'm going to have to serve as acting leader. The rest of the X-Men will have to follow my orders, even if it means I have to send them to their deaths."  
  
"Mystique, have you gone insane?! You can't do this!"  
  
"I will, Fred. Magneto has cost me two of my children, one of which I can still save."  
  
"You can't do that to them! They didn't do anything to you!"  
  
"Get some sleep, Freddy," 'Forge' said, "You're delirious. I'll check back in the morning." 'Forge' went to the small IV bag attached to Freddy's arm (which was quite a difficult task to attach) and added a red fluid to it. Moments later, Freddy closed his eyes and drifted off into sleep.   
  
"He was feeling some chest pains. I had to sedate him," 'Forge' told Jean, who was sitting in her room. "He should be alright in the morning."  
  
"Thanks, Forge."  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Apocalypse sat on his throne in a Spanish palace, which served as his base. The Horseman Death, Archangel, approached him, kneeling before him with his metal wings folded behind him.  
  
"You will go to New Zealand," Apocalypse said. His voiced echoed through the palace, and anyone not already intimidated by him shuttered. "The child is with them. Bring him to me, unharmed."  
  
"And the others?" Archangel whispered.   
  
"Do as you see fit."  
  
"Yes, master." He stood up, wings still folded, and walked out of the throne room. "None shall stand in your way."  
  
Apocalypse motioned for Archangel to begin his mission. He stood up, bowed his head, then turned to leave. As he walked through the palace's main hall, mutant toadies and slaves huddled away from the main passage and kept their heads lowered as Archangel walked past them with his wings spread a few feet from him. He was viewed as a symbol of Apocalypse's power, and many believed he was as powerful as Apocalypse himself. Behind him, the two remaining Horsemen, Storm and Avalanche, appeared and followed their leader.  
  
In the throne room, Beast approached Apocalypse and bowed. A skinny, skeletal-looking mutant with an eye tattooed on his forehead came to Apocalypse's side and whispered into his ear.  
  
"Beast. You have finished?"  
  
"Yes, master. Magneto is waiting." Outside the palace, in a small plaza, Magneto was tied to a metal post with his hands behind his back. There was no nullification device to keep Magneto from freeing himself, but he was unable to.  
  
"It looks and feels just like metal," Apocalypse said. With his appearance, the mutants in the plaza all dropped to the ground. Behind him, Beast and Mesmero walked with the newly-advance Wanda Lehnsherr. The only physical difference was that her hair was a light gray color and her eyes were a metallic silver. She wore a skin-tight black bodysuit and carried a long, pointed metal rod. "But you have no power of this material. It was created thousands of years ago, in Egypt, by a man named En Sabah Nur, who found no reason to use this substitute metal when it was more difficult to create than to simply mine true metal. He was young, but all things change, Magneto. It was almost as if it was created with you in mind. Now…" Apocalypse summoned one of his mutant servants from the bowing crowd. The dark-haired mutant looked at the end of the metal rod Wanda carried and a small wave of heat flew from his eyes and into the sharp end, and the point turned red and produced clear smoke. "…All things do change, Magneto. Even the loyalty of your children."  
  
"Wanda, no…" Mutant slaves pulled Magneto's armor off and ripped the cloth covering his chest. Mesmero held his hands next to Wanda's head as she raised the burning metal rod and thrust it forward…  
  
-------------------------------  
  
It was late in the night when Scott and Pietro arrived in Spain, just outside the city. They were about to leave the plane, but Lucid stopped them.  
  
"They will be looking for you," Lucid told them. "Wear these disguises." Scott wore a ragged cloak with a hood that hid his face in shadow, and an eye patch over his right lens, giving to most the impression of a dark man with a single glowing eye, and Pietro wore a similar disguise, only he had a scarf wrapped around his mouth to conceal his face. There was little activity at night, but there were many mutants sleeping in the streets by their market stands. A lone mutant played a mandolin, but the others were annoyed, and another mutant spat a spray of black fluid at the musician's face, burning it away and slowly dissolving his head.  
  
"We better play it safe," Scott said. "Pietro, ask someone where Apocalypse is."  
  
"Me?! I'd like to keep my face, Scott!"  
  
"Just do it!"  
  
"Okay, okay," Pietro slowly approached a middle-aged woman with clear eyes. In a slow, raspy voice, Pietro said to her, "I bring news for the master. Where is he?"  
  
"I knew you would come," the woman said. "It is just as I saw it."  
  
"What?" Pietro had slipped back into his real voice.  
  
"Pietro Lehnsherr and Scott Darkholme. I knew you would come."  
  
"Way to go, Pietro! Of all the mutants here, you had to pick a psychic!"  
  
"I am no psychic, my boy. I can see the future. They call me Destiny. Don't worry… I am not your enemy. Not son of Raven could ever be my enemy."  
  
"You know my mother?"  
  
"Yes. Close friends, long ago, but I haven't spoken to her in ages. I have only seen her in visions. She settled down to take care of you, but I was captured by human soldiers. I was rescued by the Horsemen, and now I reside here."  
  
"Can you tell us where Apocalypse is?"  
  
"I can, but I hope you're not going to fight him. His minions alone are more than you could hope to defeat. Your father…" Pietro payed closer attention. "…He is here. Magnus has been tortured near to death."  
  
"What about Wanda?"  
  
"She… she is with the Horsemen."  
  
"Is he hurting her?!" Scott yelled. "Tell me!"  
  
"No. She is with the Horsemen."  
  
"No… you're lying! You're one of Apocalypse's slaves! He told you to tell us these lies!"  
  
"I speak the truth, Scott. I have seen visions of you since the accident that separated you from your brother. I knew you would not have control of your powers, and I knew that you would be adopted by Raven. You and Kurt, and Marie, and Todd. I knew that you would meet Wanda and the X-Men, and that you would be captured by Beast. I knew that you would escape, and that Wanda would find her way to War's nephew, and you would meet Pietro after he would be betrayed by his leader. I knew Death would take you to Callisto, and she would send you here."  
  
"So what's going to happen now?!" Scott swept the eye patch off and held his finger on the switch on his glasses.  
  
"You will go to New Zealand. The Horsemen are on their way there. You must hurry."  
  
"I don't think I can trust you, Destiny."  
  
"You there!" Wolverine called from down the street. "Keep it down!"  
  
"Run," Destiny whispered. "Lucid has yet to leave."  
  
"Smells famil… PIETRO!" Wolverine extended his claws and ran towards them. Quickly, Pietro ran out of his way as Scott fired his beams and hit Wolverine in the face. With Wolverine knocked on his back, they took advantage of the situation and ran for plane. Pietro was already there, telling Lucid what had happened, but Scott was still in the city, running from Wolverine.  
  
"Looks like someone's gonna owe me." Pietro ran back and circled around Wolverine, who tried to slash at him, but only caught the air. In the blink of an eye, Pietro picked Scott up and ran back to the plane.  
  
"New Zealand, you said?" Lucid asked. "Alright. This scrap pile's got enough fuel left to make it." The plane took off and headed for its destination. Back in the city, Wolverine lifted Destiny off the ground with one arm, ready to stab her.  
  
"Stop," Apocalypse said. "Did you tell them?"  
  
"Yes, I told them," Destiny replied.   
  
"Then I have other work for you." Apocalypse disappeared, and Wolverine let her drop. She followed him, but she had lied to Apocalypse. The information he wanted her to give them had not been revealed. He had wanted her to tell them that the X-Men were in Germany, but what Destiny had told them was the truth. She knew that Apocalypse would find out sooner or later, but she wasn't concerned with her own well-being.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
The entrance to the Xavier Institute was forced open by Wanda Lehnsherr, now called Pestilence and now wearing a tattoo across her eye like the other Horsemen. Avalanche was the first to enter, followed by Storm, Wanda, and Archangel.  
  
"Wanda, you… oh no…" Jean had been walking near the entrance, and now she realized that the Horsemen had come. "THE HORSEMEN ARE HERE!" she yelled. Wanda waved her hands and Jean was thrown down the hall. The Horsemen split it, Storm and Archangel going to one end of the hall and Wanda and Avalanche going down the other.   
  
"Lance…?" Kate had opened the door to her room when she heard Jean call out, but hadn't quite understood what she had said. Avalanche turned to her, without a hint of emotion in his eyes. He held out his hand and the doorway collapse into itself, blocking any exit and trapping Kate inside. She ran through the mangled metal mess into the hall.  
  
"What in… Wanda!" Toad called. "Where's Scott… oh." He realized the situation. Quickly, he jumped on Avalanche's shoulders, arching his upper torso forward so that he was looking him in the face. He grinned, and then spat some slime in his face.  
  
"What are you doing?!" Kate yelled. "Why did you do that to him?!"  
  
"'Cuz he's th' enemy, that's why!" Toad jumped to Wanda, but a wave of her hand sent him veering slightly to the right and crashing head-first into a metal wall. Now Pyro, Rogue and Evan were out, ready to take on the intruders. Pyro was particularly thrilled; he would get a chance to use the new flamethrower Forge installed where his right hand used to be.   
  
"Wanda? Aw, no, they got you?" Pyro decided he'd focus on Avalanche. "Alright, mate, let me show you what did your pal in!" Pyro fired a stream of flame at Avalanche, but Wanda stepped in to extinguish the fire. Suddenly, Pyro's new flamethrower no longer worked.  
  
"Aww… Evan, mind taking over?"  
  
"No problem!" Evan grew a large collection of spikes on his arms and charged for Avalanche, but the ground became unstable and Evan slipped, cracking most of the bone-spikes. The impact went through his spikes and into his real bones.  
  
"Lance, don't do this! They're my friends!" Kate pleaded. "Just like you!" Avalanche said nothing to her, nor did he make any moves. Kate took this to mean that he remembered her, and that he didn't want to hurt her. The only reason Avalanche didn't attack her was because he knew her power would save her from anything he tried. He looked at Wanda and nodded. Avalanche raised thick rocks through the metal floor and trapped Kate behind them. Kate started to run through them, but halfway through, Wanda made her lose control of her power, and she was stuck in the rocks.  
  
"Lance, what are you doing?! I thought we were friends! Let me out of this! Wanda, why?! Why?! What did I do to you?! Lance! Wanda!" Wanda looked around the room. Toad was out cold next to a Toad-sized dent in the wall. Evan was on the floor with a broken arm and shards of shattered bone spikes. With his flamethrower suddenly broken and no other source of fire nearby, Pyro was harmless. Kate was stuck in the rock, still calling out to Lance. As far as Wanda was concerned, there was no danger there. Avalanche motioned for her to continue down the hall and find the others. When she disappeared into a metal room…  
  
"HAH!" Rogue yelled. She jumped on Avalanche's back and grabbed his face. Avalanche tried desperately to get her off, but he was weakening with every second that passed.   
  
"NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Kate screamed. "LANCE! LANCE!" Rogue was beginning to worry, since it was taking far long than usual for Avalanche to go down. In her mind, his memories played out, from birth to adolescence, and then a memory came through like a punch to the face. Rogue was thrown back and onto the floor, and shortly afterward, Avalanche collapsed. Pyro helped Rogue up as Kate screamed and cried frantically.  
  
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?! LANCE! LAAAANCE!"  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"I don't know…" Rogue rubbed her head. "I… oh… I better help Kate…" Rogue held up her hands and concentrated. The rocks around Kate burst, and she was free. Why she was unable to phase even after Wanda was gone was unknown to them.  
  
"WHY?! WHY?!" Kate ran to Avalanche's side. "Lance, are you alright? Lance! Lance! Please be alright!"  
  
"What's her problem?"  
  
"They were best friends," Rogue said, recalling Avalanche's memories. "His name is Lance Alvers. I guess seeing him turn into a Horseman was traumatic for her."  
  
"You guess?"  
  
"I don't know, his memories stop there… oh, my head…"  
  
In Forge's lab, Mystique held baby Kevin as she kept Forge company while he rebuilt his machines. His work was almost complete.  
  
"No need to apologize," Forge said with a touch of sarcasm. Forge heard a loud bang outside. "Wonder what that is?" Forge went to the door, but it was blown open by Storm. She stepped aside as Archangel entered the room.  
  
"Give me the child," he said.  
  
"Oh my… Mystique, run!" Mystique ran towards the only other exit, but just as she reached it, it flew off its hinges and Wanda stood in her way.   
  
"Give me the child," Archangel repeated. Mystique held Kevin close as Forge tried to protect them. He held out twin pistols and fired at Archangel, but he closed his wings around him as a shield. Forge continued firing, but in a swift stroke of his left wing, Archangel cut the barrels off his pistols. With his other wing, he cut off Forge's hands, both mechanical and organic. Forge screamed as the blood began to spread across the floor. Mystique would defend herself, but she needed to protect Kevin. But then, she had made that as a promise to Magneto.   
  
"Get away from her!" Scott Darkholme yelled. He fired his beams at Archangel's back, but the Horseman didn't even move. Quickly, Pietro ran past him and took Kevin from Mystique's arms, then ran out of the room. Archangel turned to face Scott, but made no moves. Instead, Storm blasted him against the wall with a strong gust of wind. On the floor, Scott lifted his head and looked at his mother, and then past her.   
  
"Wanda?" he called. "Wanda, they... oh no! Wanda, snap out of it!" Archangel remained in the room as Storm flew out of the room in pursuit of Pietro.  
  
"Auntie O!" Evan called. Storm payed no attention to her nephew and continued flying down the hall. "Auntie O..."  
  
"I'm crazy," Pietro said to himself. He was running through the halls of the Institute in circles... in fact, he had passed Storm twice. The third time, she waited for him. A bolt of lightning flew from from her hands and spread into the walls and onto the metal floor. When the wave of electricity reached Pietro, he fell over, screaming in pain. He accidentally dropped the baby, but a gentle wind caught him and brought him to Storm. "Wait... get back here!"  
  
Returning to the lab, Storm handed the baby to Archangel, and immediately, Kevin began to cry. Wanda held her arms upward, and the metal ceiling split. Archangel flew out, followed by Storm, who then created a gust of wing that would take Wanda with them.  
  
"Raven… we failed!" Forge yelled. "We promised Magneto..."  
  
"I don't owe Magneto anything anymore. If Kurt had been saved, then this would have turned out differently."  
  
"You would have GIVEN it to them?! You're heartless, Mystique! Magneto trusted you! I trusted you!"   
  
"Quiet, both of you!" Scott yelled. "It doesn't matter how it could've happened, all that matters is that it did! Now what's so special about that kid?"   
  
"Scott!" Mystique ran to her son and hugged him tightly, now that she was no longer held back by the situation. "Scott, I've been so worried!"  
  
"Uh... relax, mom... I'm fine."  
  
"We don't know," Forge said. "That's the thing. Apocalypse spared him, then we saved him, and now he wants him back."  
  
"Your hands…"  
  
"I know, I know… I'd better get over to the infirmary soon. We'll have to start thinking of a way to get him back."  
  
"I will be more than happy to help retrieve Kevin, if you can tell me how to reverse Apocalypse's advancements."  
  
"What?! Are you insane?! How am I supposed to study one of his advanced mutants?!"  
  
"We have one right here," Rogue said. A very disoriented Avalanche followed her, rubbing his head.   
  
"One of them is still here!" Scott yelled. "Stay back!"  
  
"It's okay," Rogue said. "I happened to pull a huge weight off his shoulders."  
  
"I'm Lance," Avalanche said.   
  
-------------------------------  
  
In the Spanish palace, Mesmero gasped. Though he was not directly controlling the Horsemen, he kept a mental link to them to ensure their obedience and to keep up with their location. He looked over his shoulder, horrified by what he saw. The remaining Horsemen had already returned, and presented Apocalypse with the child.  
  
"Beast," Apocalypse called. The furry scientist immediately dropped from the spot in the ceiling beam where he had been perched and bowed before his master. "The Horsemen have done their part. Now, you will finish this." Beast took baby Kevin from Archangel, bowed his head to Apocalypse, and then left the throne room. "Where is Famine?"  
  
"Mystique's daughter touched him," Mesmero explained, stepping forward. "When she absorbed his abilities and memories, she took the spark as well." The spark, as Mesmero referred to it, was a sort of psychic control device that kept the Horsemen in a trance-like state that ensured total obedience.  
  
"A new Famine will bow to me. The Summers boy." With those new instructions, Mesmero bowed his head and left for the dungeon. With that business over, the skinny mutant with the eye tattoo scampered to Apocalypse and whispered into his ear. "Yes, of course. The new human weapon is no threat to us. Nonetheless, we will humor them. They are on their way here. Arm the soldiers."  
  
  
In the Canadian Sentinel factory, Colonel Matthews oversaw the completion of the newest batch of Sentinels. As they marched out of the factory, General Trask stood on a raised platform as his soldiers prepared themselves for war. A larger man stood in front of a line of uniformed men, handing each a helmet, a backpack, and a rifle as they passed. Those that had already been armed stood in formation, in blocks of several hundreds. Between the soldiers, the Sentinels marched by, as a way to boost the morale of the soldiers. Each squad of Sentinels was made up of seven units, including a silver-plated XT Sentinel that acted as leader.  
  
  
In the lower chambers of the Spanish city, in a what had been a sewer in old ages now dried by lack of use, Apocalypse's own mutant slaves were preparing for a war. Tall columns lined the massive chamber, and Apocalypse and his higher officials stood on large, raised platforms that were once walkways when the sewer had been flooded. Apocalypse's skinny, eye-tattooed lackey's glowing eyes watched the army from his master's side. Between each row of columns, a crowd of mutants waited for their turn at the front, where three smaller mutants fitted each slave with battle armor and gave them either a spear, a lance, or an axe. Their main tactic was to use their mutant power, but Apocalypse knew that his enemies would be able to overcome this disadvantage to a limited extent, and made sure that his own men were equipped to fight. He did not believe in cowardly firearms, but the armor each slave was given was thick enough to protect them from bullet fire. With the separation of the columns, there were four crowds of mutants moving through, and so, Apocalypse would appoint four generals.  
  
As the bright light of six advancers faded away, Beast opened the chambers. The first to step out was Colossus, no longer capable of switching between organic and metal forms, both now combined. His skin had the same texture and flexibility of human skin, but when the light hit it, it shimmered in a bright silver color like a dual-colored fabric. He stood at the same height he once stood in his metallic form, but he had twice the strength. Colossus would be the first general.  
  
The second was Wolverine, who had no real physical different on first glance. He extended his strong, gray claws and grinned with gray teeth. Every bone in his body had turned gray and smooth like metal without luster and grown tremendously in strength and durability. His healing factor was three times as potent as before. He was a tough opponent before, but now, he was near-invincible. Wolverine would enjoy his rank as the second general.  
  
The third advanced mutant was Magma. Physically, she was the same as she was before. She decided to test her new powers by engulfing herself in flame. Before her advancement, she would have looked like a girl made of magma itself, but now, she was a girl made of orange light, like fire taken shape and each individual strand of hair glowed like a thread of fire. Magma would be Apocalypse's third general.  
  
The fourth mutant to step forward as Sunspot. Up until his advancement, Sunspot was forced to limit his activity due to his greatest weakness: he required the sun to fuel his mutant powers. Now, he could store massive amounts of energy within his body. As if to prove this, Sunspot powered up in the dark lab, projecting a thin ray of light around his pitch-black form. Only his glowing white eyes and his teeth were visible in the void.  
  
The fifth and sixth mutants changed very little in appearance. Mastermind and Mesmero emerged from their respective chambers, looking much the same as they did before. Strangely, Mesmero's eyes had changed color; one was blue, the other red. Both of their mental powers had increased drastically, and though neither had been made a general, Apocalypse had big things planned for them.  
  
  
"Today, we make our first move against the oppression of the mutants," Trask announced to his army. "We have waited many years for this, but at long last, we will fight back. I have asked myself sometimes if we are doing the right thing. I wonder if this is a foolish idea, to take on these mutants. Then, I look at the faces of my brave men, and see the determination in their eyes. I see that they are willing to fight for what they believe in, willing to fight for what is right! Only a pure-blooded human is so brave to fight for their freedom! You are not cowards, you are soldiers! You are men! You are human!" The soldiers below cheered. "We are all that is left of humanity, but by the end of this nightmare, we will be the majority. The world will be ours once more! Mutants use their trickery to hide their lack of combat skill, a skill found only in pure-blooded humans, found only in our blood! You, the pure-blooded soldiers, the proud fighters who have banded together from all parts of the world, you will take back the world! They will be no match for you! March forth, brave soldiers! I have seen the future, men, and I have seen victory! Nothing will stand in our way!" The soldiers below cheered at his encouraging words. It was clear that they were ready for battle. Upon Trask's orders, entire platoons loaded into giant circular metal crates, and inside, they all took small pills designed to prevent nausea, and they fastened themselves tightly to seats lining the walls. Each metal troop carrier was picked up by a large crane and magnetically attached to the back of an individual Sentinel. The Carrier Sentinels took flight and headed east, to Spain.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
What will Apocalypse do to baby Kevin? What was up with McGregor's death? Who IS Sabretooth working for? Does Trask's army stand a chance? Has Lance finally been freed from Apocalypse? And just what is up with the skinny guy with the eye tattooed on his forehead? Just so you know, the main team's getting narrowed down, so more focus will be placed on the central characters. 


	10. CHAPTER 8 LOCATION UPDATE

Okay, update time.  
  
Xavier Institute, location mobile [currently in New Zealand]  
Forge (real name unknown)- Has had both hands cut off by Archangel.  
Mystique (Raven Darkholme)- Mystique wants to use the remaining X-Men to take on Apocalypse and save her son Kurt.  
Todd "Toad" Darkholme  
Marie "Rogue" Darkholme- Absorbed the "spark" of Avalanche as well as his memories.  
Converse (Jean Grey)  
Stalwart (Freddy Dukes)- Heavily wounded by Nightcrawler and now unable to fight.  
Ariel (Kate Pryde)- Kate could not seem to understand that her friend Lance was under Apocalypse's control.  
Pyro  
Evan- Has a broken arm.  
Famine (Avalanche/Lance Alvers)- Touched by Rogue, and now free of Apocalypse's control.  
Scott Darkholme- Has just arrived at the Institute.  
Quicksilver (Pietro Lehnsherr)- Has just arrived at the Institute.  
  
Apocalypse's Spanish Base  
Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur)- Moving forward with plan to fight Trask's human army with his own mutant army.  
Skinny, Eye-Tattoo Lackey (Name Unrevealed)  
Beast  
Wolverine- Advanced; General in Apocalypse's new army.  
Colossus- Advanced; General in Apocalypse's new army.  
Magma- Advanced; General in Apocalypse's new army.  
Mastermind- Advanced; powers to be used in coming war.  
Mesmero- Advanced; powers to be used in coming war..  
Nightcrawler (formerly Kurt Wagner)  
Magneto- Captured and tortured. Remains captive.  
Gambit- Revealed to be an agent of Apocalypse following his capture at the Sentinel base.  
Cannonball- Revealed to be an agent of Apocalypse following his capture at the Sentinel base.  
Wolfsbane- Revealed to be an agent of Apocalypse following her capture at the Sentinel base.  
Havok- Captured by Apocalypse, scheduled to replace Avalanche as Famine.  
Tabby- Captured by Apocalypse, status unknown.  
Berzerker- Remains in Apocalypse's service.  
Sunspot- Remains in Apocalypse's service.  
Destiny- A mutant slave of Apocalypse and long-lost friend of Mystique, warned Scott and Pietro to go to New Zealand.  
  
Under Apocalypse's control, location unknown  
Death (Archangel)  
Pestilence (Wanda Lehnsherr)- Advanced and made a Horsemen.  
War (Storm)  
Baby Kevin- A child from Tibet and an enhanced mutant, even at his age. Handed over to Death by Mystique.  
  
At the Estate in Ireland  
Caliban- Wealthy mutant with ties to Apocalypse, not fully loyal.  
Callisto- Wealthy mutant with ties to Apocalypse, not fully loyal.  
Jamie Madrox- Taken by the Horsemen to serve Apocalypse, being used as a hacker and revealing information about Trask's army to Apocalypse.  
  
Trask's Pure Blood Movement  
General Bolivar Trask- Head of last human resistance, plans an all-out assault against Apocalypse.  
Arcade (Webber Torque)- Has smoothed out the design of the XT Sentinel for mass production.  
Colonel Duncan Matthews  
Private Paul McGregor- Revealed to be a mutant, believed to be a spy by Trask. First test subject for XT Sentinel, killed.  
  
Other:  
Sabretooth (Victor Creed)- Slaughtered several of Trask's men, no affiliation yet revealed. 


	11. Night of Fire

Here we go, the first battle between Trask and Apocalypse's forces, and struggles between former allies turned against each other by Apocalypse. Finally, you get to see what the X-Men will use to defeat Apocalypse... though it might not make much sense now. Oh, and excuse the grammar.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Nine - Night of Fire  
  
"They have stopped all communication?" Caliban asked his wife Callisto as they watched the Jamies work at their various screens. "Then that would mean that there is no reason to pass information through these lines."  
  
"They're all gathered together," the real Jamie told them. "The last message we found was Trask ordering everyone to meet him in Canada. Before that, one of them found out about the Spanish base."  
  
"They're walking into a trap," Callisto said. "Jamie, do they know about the base in Egypt?"  
  
"Do they know?" he asked one of the other Jamies, who checked some of the stored files.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"There is someone else here…" Caliban told the others. "A mutant… not one I have sensed before." Sabretooth growled behind them, and they turned around, surprised, but before they could get a good look at him, he was already in midair. Callisto rolled out of his way, but he wasn't aiming for her. He grabbed Caliban and dug his claws into his cheek, then dragged his claws across his face. The dark blood flowed against the pale skin, and he clutched the wound in pain. Sabretooth grinned, and licked his claws, looking right at Jamie. Callisto jumped at him and kicked him in the face, and jumped back and kicked him in the stomach. Temporarily reeling, Sabretooth flew backwards when Callisto punched his chin. He flipped in the air and landed on his feet, then rushed for her, biting her arm and shaking violently like an animal. The Jamies cowered away from their computers as blood splattered against the monitors. Callisto fell next to Caliban and Sabretooth then turned to Jamie and his duplicates.  
  
"What's going on down here?" Cain Marko asked. Sabretooth turned to see the enormous mutant, and Jamie ran towards him as his duplicates disappeared. Cain looked down to see Callisto and Caliban on the floor, bleeding. "You! You're gonna pay for this!" Cain yelled angrily and charged at the cat-like mutant, then began to pound at him with his massive fists. Sabretooth took the damage more easily than most, but still, Cain's strength was too much for him. There was a reason Cain was called Unstoppable. Sabretooth dropped to the ground, bruised, bleeding, and weakened. Cain lifted his giant foot to stomp on Sabretooth's head and finish him.  
  
"Stop," Archangel called from the doorway. "If you kill Sabretooth, you will be committing an act of treason."  
"What do you think you're doing, sending him in here?!"  
  
"He did not come here to attack you. He has been misled…" Archangel turned to look in the hallway and saw one of the mutant servants, a wide-eyed mutant, gasp and run. With a quick flap of his right wing, he sent three metal feathers flying at him. Two stabbed him in the back, and the third in the head. "An illusion-caster. Apocalypse knows about you."  
  
"Get the medic down here," Cain said into an intercom. "Why is Sabretooth here, then?"  
  
"To report. Sabretooth, did you warn Trask?"  
  
"He wouldn't listen," Sabretooth said, slowly getting up. His bruises were fading and parted skin was beginning to close. "I told you he wouldn't."  
  
"And the alternate plan?"  
  
"No good. They got Shifter."  
  
"Which Shifter?"  
  
"Kid Shifter."  
  
"They killed Shifter? This is not good, not good at all. Juggernaut, take whatever loyal servants you can and wait for me in Egypt." Archangel folded his wings and started to leave, but turned back and said, "Make sure to stay hidden."  
  
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Wolverine stood with Mastermind in an underground hangar on the south side of the Spanish city. While the mutant slaves marched into massive airplanes above ground, Apocalypse's higher officials would ride in a small plane made of unmetal, the metal-like substance designed by Apocalypse, and given stealth technology developed by Beast. It wasn't quite time to leave yet, but Apocalypse gave them no further instruction, so they stood there with the rest of Apocalypse's generals.   
  
"Where are they taking all of you?" Wolverine asked.  
  
"Egypt. I guess he has something planned for you here."  
  
"Hope so. I don't wanna have to wait to take them on."  
  
"Eager to fight, as always," Mastermind said, more to himself than to Wolverine. "Logan, did you know that Fury joined Trask not long ago?"  
  
"Did he now?" Wolverine looked at Mastermind, interested. Nick Fury, a former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and former friend. Before Logan had been captured for experimentation by the Weapon X program, he and Fury had worked together on several missions. One of their missions led them to Egypt, where Logan had found the tomb of Apocalypse. There, Apocalypse's influence seeped through and corrupted his mind; however, Apocalypse didn't see Logan fit to find the keys, thinking his style much too obvious. When Apocalypse was free, Logan remained his servant. "Can you sniff him out?"  
  
"I'd rather you not use that term, but yes, I sense him coming this way. That's how I learned this. This new ability is hard to turn off. It seems I know everything about everyone within a hundred miles."  
  
"That's not very comforting," Wolverine said.  
  
"I'm not too happy about it either, but fortunately, I can concentrate all my power on casting illusions and get rid of that stupid voice in the back of my head. I think I'll do that now." The closed hangar became an open city; Las Vegas. The plan became an extravagant fountain outside a casino, and the other mutants all became showgirls, and danced.  
  
"Free show, not bad. Makes me wish the real Vegas was still around."  
  
"Yes, this conquest has had its downsides… but maybe we can build a new desert paradise somewhere. There are mutant women as beautiful as human women, and there are mutants who shadow the old magicians with their abilities… me, for example. Mutants are just as greedy as humans and willing to throw their money away for a chance at fortune."  
  
"When we get rid of the humans, we can get started on that," Wolverine said. "We could build it here. He probably won't be using this base much once he's got the rest of the world."  
  
"Either way, he owes us for all we've done for him. The least he could do is give us this city."  
  
"You have a point, Mastermind. One of these days, we'll be kings among mutants."  
  
"We're already halfway there." The skinny, tattooed mutant appeared in the hangar with Apocalypse and Beast, who carried baby Kevin with him. The other mutants stood tall and ready to take orders from their master.  
  
"Wolverine and his men will stay here to face the coming human invasion," he announced in a raspy voice. "The rest will go to Egypt." As the others bowed and boarded the plane, except for Beast and Mastermind, who stayed behind with Apocalypse, the tattooed mutant took Wolverine aside. "I have specific instructions for you, Wolverine, concerning your strategy in dealing with the human army…  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Lance Alvers sat on an examination table as Forge, now sporting dual mechanical hands, scanned him using a handheld device similar to the one he had used on baby Kevin. Kate watched nervously behind glass, alone with Rogue, Scott, and Toad.  
  
"Times are crazy, bro," Toad said. "Apocalypse got most of th' X-Men, even Magneto. Buncha Pietro's old friends tricked Wanda and captured her."  
  
"Old friends, which ones?"  
  
"Uh… that weird guy with th' armor, the stupid Frenchie with th' cards, and that little redhead wolf girl."  
  
"Cannonball, Gambit, and Wolfsbane," Kate said, not looking away from Lance. "They left with Pietro to join Wolverine on X-Force. Now they work for Apocalypse."  
  
"They got Alex, too," Rogue mentioned. Scott noticed that saying so made her a little sad, but she tried to hide it. Scott wanted to say 'good riddance,' but decided not to say it in front of his sister.  
  
"We'll just have to get him back. I hope whatever Forge is doing can help get Wanda back."  
  
"Yep. Not a good enemy to have," Toad said. He saw a lot more than people realized, but he knew Scott wouldn't want him saying this sort of stuff out loud. Last time he did, he blasted him through a wall.   
  
"What about the others? Who's still up to fight?" Scott asked.   
  
"Freddy is injured," Kate said, still not looking away from Lance. "Evan has a broken arm. Jean's morale is low. Pyro and Pietro are still available."  
  
"That's it? That's all of us?!" Toad yelled in outrage. "We gotta be crazy to take on Apocalypse!"  
  
"Hopefully, Lance will be on our side," Rogue said.  
  
"He will. Lance is my friend… Lance is my friend."  
  
"We'll do whatever it takes," Scott said as he left the room. As he walked down the hall, he wondered why he even cared about Wanda. All she had ever done was get him into trouble… but they had gotten into trouble together. He didn't even know her that well. Maybe it was because every other girl was either insane or evil, or both. Maybe what he really wanted was a nice girl who followed the rules.   
  
But what could she see in him? A girl like her liked nice guys who never got into trouble. Scott's middle name may as well have been trouble. She couldn't even see his eyes without getting hurt. Maybe he just took his brother Toad's advice too seriously, 'first girl you see that you like, hold on to her, 'cuz you ain't gettin' another shot.' He wouldn't find another girl like Wanda. Scott was determined to save her, by whatever means necessary.   
  
  
Later the evening, as Forge continued his analysis and Kate stayed as close as she could to Lance, the others met in the conference room. Mystique now sat at the head of the table, and to her right, Scott, Rogue and Toad sat. To her left, Pietro, Pyro and Jean. Freddy had been wheeled in on his bed (though it took Scott, Pyro and Toad's combined strength to do it), and Evan sat on an extra chair next to him with his arm in a sling. Having been the only one to read Dr. Essex's journal through, Scott was the one to explain to the others what he had found.  
  
  
Dr. Nathaniel Essex was a geneticist and friend of Professor Charles Xavier. Dr. Essex was not a mutant, but he was fascinated by them. He and Xavier exchanged theories and research and both began to formulate their own finished theories on the existence of mutants. At about the same time he discovered a Cyttorak gem, Dr. Cain Marko had stumbled upon a tomb of sorts hidden away in the mountains in Egypt, where writings indicated an ancient mutant. Dr. Essex went with him on a second journey (Cain still wasn't very fond of Charles, so they left him behind), and they studied the tomb and discovered the name En Sabah Nur, but otherwise found little information of use in his pursuit of mutant history, but Dr. Essex was still fascinated by the idea of an ancient mutant, believing the warnings to be an exaggeration (as the mutants that had revealed themselves to humans at this time were considered monsters as it was). From behind a door they could not open, Dr. Essex heard voices. He didn't tell Cain this because he thought Cain would think him mad. Months later, Dr. Essex left on "family business," though he had really returned to Egypt and to the tomb of En Sabah Nur. The voices grew stronger and clearer, until only one voice could be heard, that of En Sabah Nur himself, somehow alive behind the door. He had started calling himself Apocalypse, and he wanted Dr. Essex to help him leave the tomb. Dr. Essex could only think about meeting the ancient mutant. He sought out the first key, and nobody took notice. He sought out the second key, and nobody noticed. He sought out the third key, and Xavier became suspicious. Xavier and his old friend Erik tried to stop him, but when they lost track of him and met to discuss where Dr. Essex could have gone, an odd incident occurred, and Xavier ended up dead (unknown to Dr. Essex, this was the incident involving the time traveler sent by Apocalypse, though he was not meant to stop them from preventing his liberation, in fact, the future Apocalypse had not thought that he would be discovered so early, but due to the distortion of reality, this great coincidence came about), and Dr. Essex was able to finally free Apocalypse. Unfortunately for Dr. Essex- the last thing he wrote in his journal- Apocalypse hated humans. The last entry was written in different handwriting: Cain Marko's. Dr. Essex's heart had been stopped by Apocalypse, according to the autopsy after they found his body in the tomb. Apocalypse had not bothered to destroy the body or the journal. This was his first and greatest mistake, for inside, Dr. Essex had copied down every single word he found in the tomb, and Cain re-wrote them, translated into English. Written in the journal:  
  
  
The Tomb of En Sabah Nur  
Vile Mutant (a side note by Cain says that it didn't actually say mutant, but it was implied)  
Do Not Disturb The Tomb  
Do Not Awaken Him  
If This Tomb is Opened  
The Word Will Fall  
The End of Time  
The End of Men  
A New Era  
The Age of Apocalypse (Cain says that this is not the exact wording)  
  
  
If En Sabah Nur Walks Again  
He Must Be Locked Back in   
The Tomb  
The Key in the Tower (Cain says the actual wording is very vague)  
Unlock the Door  
And Seal Him In   
The Tower Where the Sun Rises  
Will Be His Final Tomb  
  
  
"Why didn't they just lock put him there in the first place?" Toad asked.  
  
"It must've been too difficult," Freddy answered. "I mean, Apocalypse is tough for mutants to deal with, I can't imagine how humans got him behind those doors to begin with.  
  
"Other than that, there's nothing else in there," Scott said.   
  
"Nothing?" Pyro asked.  
  
"That's what I said, shithead."  
  
"There's only a few of us who can still fight," Mystique said. "Alone, we're powerless."  
  
"If we still had Magneto…" Toad said.  
  
"Magneto got what he deserved!" Mystique snapped. "Forget about him. We didn't need him before and we don't need him now."  
  
"…Either way, we'd have to get him back somehow," Freddy said. "That's not an easy task."  
  
"Our main concern is getting back our teammates," Mystique said. "Alex, Wanda, Tabitha, and…" Mystique looked down for a moment. "…and Kurt."  
  
"There's no time," Lance explained as he walked into the room, followed by Kate and Forge. "The mast-" Lance shook his head. "Apocalypse is getting his troops ready for a battle. General Trask of the Pure Blood movement has mobilized his own troops."  
  
"We do not need this…" Mystique grumbled. "Lance, what sort of weaknesses does Apocalypse have?"  
  
"He has none," Lance said gravely. "If you want to recover your friends, then it's best if you go quickly, before General Trask launches a full offensive."  
  
"Then that's where we'll go," Mystique said.  
  
"Lance, what do you know about a tower in Egypt?" Scott asked.  
  
"A tower? I know nothing."  
  
"Nothing?"  
  
"That's what he said, shithead," Pyro replied. Scott glared at him.   
  
"His base in Egypt is hidden among the pyramids. If we must leave Spain, I can lead you there, if you wish." Lance tried his hardest to be polite. Having been under the control of Apocalypse for so long, he felt grateful to the X-Men for having helped freed him. Kate stayed close to him at all times, though he welcomed her; after all, they were best friends as children.   
  
"You'll come with us, then," Mystique said.  
  
"I am at your service."  
  
"We leave in an hour," Mystique announced, and the X-Men left the conference room. Only Mystique and Forge remained. "What did you find?"  
  
"It can be reversed the same way a normal enhanced mutation can. Radiation from a Cyttorak gem has to be stimulated into projecting a counter-radiation that will reverse any effects the original exposure had."  
  
"Stimulated? How?"  
  
"Destroying it."  
  
"Where can I find one of these gems?"  
  
"They're extremely rare," Forge explained.   
  
"You won't find any outside of Apocalypse's reach," Lance explained. He hadn't left, and of course, neither had Kate, though Forge and Mystique hadn't noticed. "He's made sure they're all in his possession. You could try to find some while in Spain, but it would be very dangerous."  
  
"I am willing to take that risk," Mystique said.   
  
-------------------------------  
  
It was a quiet evening in the Spanish city. The sun had just risen, and most of the mutants usually littering the cobblestone streets were absent. Not a single event broke the morning calm.   
  
"Three of them," Destiny had said the day before, and so, three Carrier Sentinels arrived at three different points surrounding the city. The circular carriers on their backs detached, and special boosters on the sides helped steady them as they landed. The main hatch of each carrier opened, and the human soldiers rushed out.   
  
"Nobody to meet us," the captain said to his men. "Stay alert. This smells like a trap."  
  
"Smells like meat to me!" Wolverine yelled. He appeared in one of the city's main streets, with armed mutants behind him, he himself wearing armor plates and a helmet that resembled the mask he wore in our reality. He held up his right hand, extended his claws, and brought his arm down to signal for his own troops to charge. The human soldiers began to fire, but their bullets barely dented the tough armor of the advancing mutants. Wolverine was the first to reach them, and his claws did the work for him. Left and right, human soldiers were gutted, maimed, stabbed, and butchered by the armed mutants. At close range, the humans could fire at gaps in the armor, and the mutants began to fall. Wolverine searched for the human captain, trying to distinguish his scent from that of the other mutants. He found him at last. The captain had one noticeable difference either way; he wore an eye patch.  
  
Wolverine tore through the soldiers and faced his equal on the battlefield. He slashed the captain's rifle in half, but did not kill him.  
  
"Logan," the captain said. The other soldiers around him were too busy fighting the mutants to notice their captain facing the mutant leader. "So this is how it ends."  
  
"Yep. Killed in battle. No better way to go, Fury." Nick Fury had never quite known what had happened to warp Logan's mind, but for his own sake, he had joined Trask's revolution. "Enough of this." Wolverine raised his claws.  
  
"Farewell, Logan," Fury said. "I'd hoped that we could settle this man-to-man, but you're cheating." Enraged by Fury's words, Wolverine plunged both claws into both sides of Fury's chest, and with his claws still stuck inside, lifted him up off the ground.  
  
"You were always jealous!" Wolverine retracted his claws and let Fury drop to the ground. "Jealous of me… jealous of Cap…"  
  
"Not jealous," Fury gasped. "Sorry."   
  
Wolverine turned away from the dead captain and returned to the battle. Elsewhere, Mystique used the battle as a distraction to sneak into the palace. The others were taking separate routes, agreeing to meet inside the palace. Scott, Pietro, Rogue, Lance and Kate had insisted on coming, while Forge, Pyro (who had wanted to come, but they thought he'd draw too much attention), Toad and Jean stayed on the Blackbird until Mystique gave them further instruction. Mystique walked through back alleys in the old-fashioned city past the main battles. The other waves of human soldiers had found their way to the mutants, and the fight was becoming bloodier.   
  
"Stay close," Lance said to Kate, who could not be separated from him.   
  
"Nobody can stop us together, Lance," Kate said to him. "Nobody can stop us."  
  
"I wish that were true, Kitty," he said, calling her by the pet name he had given her years before. Elsewhere, Scott moved dangerously close to the main battle. An armored mutant was thrown into the alley he was walking through, but fortunately, he was already dead. Scott exhaled, and continued.   
  
Rogue made her way around the back of the palace, on the other side of city, where nobody would see her despite walking out in the open. Of course, that's what she thought.  
  
"Alex?" Alex Summers, Havok, stood before her wearing a tight-fitting black outfit and a tattoo across his eye. Rogue knew he had been brainwashed, so she didn't bother trying to reason with him. Of course, he didn't say anything either. Despite Beast's earlier estimate, the inhibitor device on his belt was no problem for the advancer; especially not when Wanda was controlling the field to make sure there was no problem. "Well, I guess you're gonna try to kill me now." Rogue slipped her glove off. "I'm not going down without a fight."  
  
Havok nodded. He held out his hands and, in a flash of red energy that disappeared second after being projected, Rogue flew to the ground several feet away, aching all over. Havok prepared another blast, but something stopped him. It seemed as if he heard something behind him, and ran off into an alley. It just happened that Lance and Kate came upon the wounded Rogue.  
  
"What happened to you?" Lance asked.  
  
"Alex."  
  
"Oh." Kate said. "He...?"  
  
"Yes, he's a Horseman..."  
  
"Do you still like him?" Kate asked bluntly.  
  
"I dunno... I don't go for guys who beat their girlfriends." Lance helped her to her feet, though she was unable to stand up properly.   
  
"Kate, take her back to the others," Lance said.  
  
"What? I can still fight," Rogue said, grunting in pain as she leaned on Kate.  
  
"Will you be alright?" Kate asked.  
  
"I will, Kitty. You know me. Don't worry. I'll see you back on the Blackbird." Lance held Kate's free hand in both of his, and the look in his eyes assured her. She nodded, and phased through a building with Rogue.   
  
Finally, Mystique and her team found the palace. They found that getting in was easy, after a distraction caused by Lance. Inside, more mutants waited, clad in armor, but for some reason didn't go to the battlefield. They snuck around in the shadows, Lance leading them past the army. Mystique didn't trust Lance at all, but at this point, she decided it was better to risk betrayal than not do anything.  
  
"We'll need to get to the lab to find the gems," Lance whispered to Mystique. "It's very well-guarded. You'll have to use a disguise."  
  
"Very well." Mystique changed into Apocalypse.  
  
"With all due respect, Miss Darkholme, that will get you killed. Most of the mutants here will be able to sense you, and walking around as Apocalypse is bound to get you noticed." Taking his suggestion, Mystique changed into a more "human" form of her own appearance, clad in mutant armor. "That will work."  
  
"I will infiltrate the lab. You wait here, and cover my escape."  
  
"Yes, ma'am." Before she left, Lance gave Mystique specific instructions for how to reach Apocalypse's lab. After venturing past the main hall and through a common room, she can upon a smaller chamber with three unmetal doors. She opened the third one and walked through.  
  
Several small tunnels later, she found her way to a vent overlooking the lab. Mastermind held baby Kevin in one of his arms and waved his other hand over his head, but Mystique didn't care. She saw a vicious beast napping in a large glass chamber, with a few human (or more likely mutant) bones littered around him. This was the beast that had once been her son. She cringed just looking at what they had done to her precious child, but she decided that once she freed him, she would make them pay, but first, she had to find a Cyttorak gem. She looked around the lab, and found a red stone on a table near Mastermind. Seeing nobody else, Mystique kicked off the vent cover and jumped down into the lab.  
  
"So you decided to come down," Mastermind said, not looking up. "That's fine. Try not to make a mess, huh?"  
  
"You're going to help me destroy that gem."  
  
"Me? I can't do that. I have limitations on my powers, madam. Now, the fellow behind you, he might be able to help." Mystique turned around meet the fist of Beast and fell to the ground unconscious.   
  
  
"Secondary tactics!" Wolverine yelled, and the mutants began to use their powers instead of their weapons. Energy beams, psychic blasts, explosions, tendrils, wings, claws, all brought out to destroy the humans. This didn't seem to be enough, and the humans continued advancing. A stray fireball flew onto the palace wall and began to burn it.   
  
"Storm the palace!" one of the human captains called. While one platoon of soldiers was holding back the dwindling mutant forces, the other two charged through the palace doors, where more soldiers waited.   
  
"We'd better get out of here," Pietro said to the others.  
  
"Follow me," Lance told the others. They left the main hall and made their way to the tunnels as the mutants and the humans battled in the common room. When all the opposition had been defeated, the only remaining captain sent a message to Trask.  
  
"General Trask, sir, we have stormed the palace."  
  
"What have you found?"  
  
"Troops meant to stall us. Apocalypse got away on a plane, along with most of his high-level cronies."  
  
"Were the Sentinels effective?"  
  
"No, sir, the Sentinels were not necessary."  
  
"Not necessary?"  
  
"Our men were far superior to them in combat. Even with their mutations, we still managed to corner them and bring them down, all but the field leader, Wolverine."  
  
"Logan lives, then. And the palace?"  
  
"We've swept it and found only one mutant to question. He said the plane was headed to Egypt, and that's where most of the troops are. He gave us the coordinates of Apocalypse's base. The palace caught fire, but my men are trying to put it out."  
  
"Let it burn."  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"Let it burn. Burn the whole city to the ground. Regroup, and we will see how well Apocalypse stands in Egypt." Wolverine watched from an alley as the soldiers torched the entire city. The skinny mutant with the eye tattooed on his forehead watched with him.  
  
"All goes according to plan," the mutant said, with a tired voice.  
  
"I was hoping Apocalypse would give me and a partner this city, but it looks like we'll have to find another place to start. Where to next, Shifter? Egypt?"  
  
"The master said Egypt… we go to Egypt." Shifter grabbed Wolverine's arm, and they disappeared. Images of them remained in their places, but slowly faded. The orange glow of the city lit the sky as ashes drifted into the air…  
  
  
Lance led the others into the lab, where Beast and Mastermind now stood with Apocalypse. Baby Kevin sat in a small pillow on a stand at the far end of the lab.   
  
"So, you return, Famine," Apocalypse said. "Have you come to rescue them?" Apocalypse motioned to a series of glass chambers, each divided by a glass wall. Magneto sat in the first chamber in terrible shape, looking as if he hadn't slept in years, covered in cuts and bruises all over. His armor and cape had been taken from him, and only his black suit, torn in various places, remained. Mystique lay unconscious in a chamber next to the sleeping Nightcrawler's own chamber. Apocalypse motioned, and several armored mutants stormed into the room, holding their swords and axes against the throats of Lance and Scott. Pietro was the only one left alone.  
  
"Magneto," Pietro regarded his father.  
  
"If it weren't for him, your mother would still be alive," Apocalypse said to him. "His selfishness cost you your mother, but he has not paid for his actions." A mutant soldier handed Pietro a sword. "I am giving you a chance to show him just how much you've suffered."  
  
"You want me to kill my own father?" Pietro asked.  
  
"I want you to do to him what you feel you must." Pietro looked down at the sword, and then at Magneto. The front wall of the glass chamber had been raised, and the floor slid out like a platform. Magneto's hands were chained with unmetal to the floor.  
  
"…Pietro?" Magneto called, clearly weakened from Wanda's own torture. His eyes had little strength in them.  
  
"I still remember that day, Magneto," Pietro said to his father. "When you sacrificed your own wife to save yourself."  
  
"Pietro, no! I did what I could to save her. Something was stopping me from using my powers."  
  
"Yes, your selfish desire to save your own ass! You know it would go straight for you if you used your powers, but you didn't!"  
  
"No, Pietro! I tried, but I couldn't! I didn't want her to die, Pietro!"  
  
"But you let it happen anyway!"  
  
"Pietro, let it go!" Scott yelled. "Apocalypse is making you do his work for him!"  
  
"Stay out of this!" Pietro yelled.   
  
"Pietro, do with me as you will, but I will not die before I tell you how I feel. You have made me proud Pietro. Even if your judgment has not always been good, you have grown up to be a fine young man, and you will do anything for the people you care about, as I tried to do, but I failed, and it cost me my wife and my family. You will be a greater man than I could ever be, Pietro. You are still my son, and I still love and respect you, even if you decide to end my life."  
  
Pietro looked at his father, then at the sword in his hand, and then at Apocalypse. He approached Magneto and looked down at him. Then, Pietro lifted his sword, held it against Magneto's chest, and dragged it across slowly.  
  
"Pietro, what are you doing?!" Scott yelled. "PIETRO, STOP!" As the blood from the first stinging cut flowed, Pietro created more open wounds, drawing more of his father's blood. He then dropped the bloody sword and looked at his father.  
  
"Perhaps, a better tool?" Apocalypse offered Pietro the same weapon he had given Wanda: a hot, sharpened rod. Pietro took the rod and jammed it into Magneto's side, searing his flesh and forcing him to scream in pain. Pietro pressed it against Magneto's shoulder and held it there for nearly a minute. He could barely hear the sound of Magneto's burning skin over his pained screams. Pietro pulled it away, then pushed it into Magneto's chest, twisting it and forcing it in, his face betraying every ounce of hatred for his father. He looked at the rod and then at Magneto's face. With a grim look on his face, he shoved it into his father's right eye. All but Apocalypse turned away, preferring not to witness the gruesome sight. Magneto's screams were enough to make their skin crawl.  
  
"Enough," Apocalypse said. "You will have time for that later. Send them with the others." The armored mutants led Lance, Scott, and Pietro away. Magneto fell against his chamber floor still consumed by pain. His chamber returned to normal and he was once again locked inside. He clutched his eye-socket, which only brought him more pain, and tears flowed from his left eye.   
  
  
Aboard the Blackbird, Jean Grey, Toad, Pyro and Forge waited for the others to arrive. Kate and Rogue arrived early, and an hour later, Lance and Scott.   
  
"What's going on?" Forge asked. "Where's Mystique? And Pietro?"  
  
"She got captured." Scott said. "While Pietro was off torturing his own father, we overheard him talking about a base in Egypt. Then we escaped."  
  
"He's leading his troops there," Lance said. "What happened here was just a small skirmish. He tricked Trask's army into thinking they could win by ordering the mutants to fight at half-strength and now they're all headed for Egypt."  
  
"We've got to convince Trask that he's being tricked," Forge said. "We'll have to meet them in Egypt and stop them. But first, we'll have to get Mystique back."  
  
  
Several hours passed, and Magneto was beginning to deal with the burns and the eye-gouging. He looked over to Mystique, who had just woken up. "You came to rescue Kurt. I knew you would."  
  
"Forgive me for being a responsible parent, Magnus." Mystique noticed his condition, but figured Apocalypse had tortured him, and didn't even mention it.  
  
"Mystique, I'm sorry I did this to you and your children. I didn't mean it to turn out this way, and I'm sorry it has to end this way."  
  
"End? This isn't over, Magnus!"  
  
"But it is," Apocalypse said, facing Mystique from outside the glass. A nervous Pietro and Destiny stood with him.   
  
"Irene… you're with him?!"  
  
"Raven, I…" Destiny looked at Apocalypse. "I have no choice."  
  
"Then I truly have no one to trust," Mystique said. Apocalypse smirked at this little exchange.  
  
"Mystique, perhaps you would like to get to know your son?" he suggested. A wicked smile grew across his face. Mystique turned to see Nightcrawler's chamber. Nightcrawler was still napping, snoring comfortably. He wore a nullification collar to allow his teleportation abilities to be maintained under control. A thin mechanical arm appeared from the floor of Nightcrawler's chamber and pressed his side. A bright spark and a crackle shocked and startled the beast and disturbed him from his sleep. Nightcrawler was quite upset, and swatted the arm and roared. He was suddenly very angry, and swatted the glass walls. He turned his head towards Mystique, his mother, and growled. He scratched at the glass wall separating them, roaring viciously.   
  
  
The glass was lowered.  
  
  
Apocalypse smiled wickedly. Pietro took advantage of this distraction and ran.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Alright, folks. Three chapters to go until this is all over. 


	12. Apology

Aaargghhhh...  
  
Sorry for the absence, guys. Study, study, you know how it is. Unfortunately, my computer died this semester, and I lost everything I hadn't already posted. This means the finale I had halfway written was lost. I'm going to try to write it up again, so just hang in there, both of you still watching this space. Again, sorry for the inconvenience.  
  
-Jose L. Solano, King of the Worthless 


	13. Four Armies and Callisto's Plan

...

Alright guys. I'm back, this story is back, here's a new chapter, here we go. I'm not sure this is as good as what I had originally written (not that it makes a difference), but it's something, right? Oh, and excuse the grammar.

Chapter Ten - Four Armies and Callisto's Plan

"What do you mean she's gone?!" Scott yelled at Pietro, who shrunk in his seat while the older mutant was ready to blow his head off his shoulders. 

"She's gone! Apocalypse fed her to... your brother."

"WHAT?! Why didn't you stop him?!"

"What was I supposed to do?!"

"Settle down!" Forge yelled. "There was nothing he could've done. None of us could've saved her. Now we have to get out of here before they come looking for us."

"I'm not going," Scott said. He opened the hatched and started on his way out, until Jean used her telekinesis to restrain him. "Let go of me! That son of a bitch is going to pay! I'm going to make him-"

"Scott, no!" Rogue yelled. Scott stopped struggling against Jean and turned to face his younger sister. He hadn't thought about how this had affected her. Toad had his hand around her shoulders, fighting back the tears while his sister let them flow as they came. "Scott, we've lost mom and Kurt. We don't want to lose you, too."

"But-"

"Scott, do you really think there's anything you can do?" Scott reluctantly closed the hatch and Forge guided the Blackbird off the ground. Nobody said a word as Scott walked past his siblings into the cargo hold and closed the door behind him. Kate started after him, but Rogue stopped him. "We'd better just give him some time alone." The others heard the sound of a fist pounding against metal and screaming coming from the cargo hold. Rogue and Toad exchanged worried looks and took their seats.

-------------------------------

A silver aircraft approached the enormous pyramid that served as Apocalypse's Egyptian base just minutes before dawn. Around the main pyramid were twelve stone towers, were armed mutant sentries saluted the aircraft carrying their master. At the base of the pyramid, a ramp in the sand-covered ground lowered, allowing the aircraft to land in the hangar under the pyramid. The ramp raised itself and a red-skinned mutant blew the sand back over the concealed ramp with a mighty blow of his breath.

"He's here..." Callisto told her associates. Their private jet sat on a rocky mountain several miles from the pyramid and tower perimeter. Callisto had discarded her casual dress and now wore a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt while her pale husband wore black pants and a brown overcoat. Callisto handed her binoculars to Caliban to prove her point. "No sign of Trask, though."

"We'll have to wait until he gets here," Cain said. He sat on a rock, eating some potato chips. When Sabretooth tried to take some, Cain swatted at him, leading Sabretooth to growl at Cain's greed and then pounce on him.

"Both of you, settle down!" Callisto yelled. "Save it for Apocalypse's goons."

"Tell him to share."

"Tell him to get his own bag."

"At this point, none of that matters," Caliban muttered. 

"I don't need your useless chips! I'll go catch me a jackal or something," Sabretooth growled.

"You do that." Callisto strapped on a pair of shinguards and put on a pair of spiked boots. "So you and Caliban are actually gonna fight now, huh? What a world."

"We are always ready to fight for what we believe in," Caliban told him.

"And what you believe in now is keeping your wealth."

"When we believe in something," Callisto said to him, "We see it through to the end." Cain had to chuckle at his companions. 

-------------------------------

Two days had passed since the battle at the Spanish base and Mystique's passing. They had gone back for Freddy and Evan, but decided that rather than stay at the Xavier Institute in New Zealand where their enemies could find them, the team had settled at a recently abandoned human base somewhere in Greece. It was apparently a United States Air Force base at one time, but by the amount of dust and vermin found all over, Forge estimated that it had been a few years since anyone had used it. 

"This medical ward's kinda junky," Evan said as Freddy was wheeled in. "I can't believe we have to sit here while everyone else gets to have some real fun."

"Won't be too bad," Freddy told him as Scott, Pyro and Forge left them alone. "We just have to get used to being lazy is all."

"That's what got me into this mess. What am I saying? I wasn't lazy, I was a coward."

"This have something to do with your aunt, kid?"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me 'kid,'" Evan snapped. Freddy nodded, and Evan explained. "She took me in, man. She was like a mother to me. Then one day Apocalypse's goons showed up at our door. She told me to run and hide, and I did. I shouldn't have ran."

"Kid, quit feeling sorry for yourself." Evan was surprised, both by being referred to as 'kid' despite asking not to be, and at Freddy's sudden change in attitude. "There wasn't anything you could've done. They tell me Scott acted the same way. Apocalypse killed his mom back there, did they tell you?"

"No... I figured she had been captured."

"You know what's worse? They used her own son to kill her. How do you think Scott felt? He was mad."

"You weren't even there!" Evan yelled.

"No, but I know him well enough to know that he would've wanted to go back and take on En Sabah Nur himself. He didn't care about anything anymore. I don't know if he still does."

"So what are you trying to tell me, that he has more of a right to complain than I do? My aunt is still alive! I can still do something!"

"No you can't, kid."

"Stop calling me kid!"

"Stop acting like one! You said it yourself, she's still alive. Lance woke up, so there's still hope for your aunt. You have to look on the bright side of things, kid. You gotta have some faith. A little hope can do wonders." Evan nodded, but said nothing. Freddy knew he had made his point and sighed. "Hey, I'll arm-wrestle you."

"No way, I'm not stupid." Fred laughed. He thought Evan would benefit from a little humor. Outside, Forge, Toad and Pyro sat in the waiting room with a glass of water and a broken link from a chain.

"So this is unmetal," Forge said. It was indeed made of unmetal, the strange metal created by Apocalypse himself, the metal that Magneto had absolutely no control over. Forge looked over it, rubbing his chin as he thought about the strange substance. Toad had saved a piece of it after being set free in Apocalypse's German base. "I'm assuming it's not as strong as say, adamantium, but it has other qualities that make it unique."

"Pietro told us that Magneto can't affect the stuff," Toad explained. "That's some pretty evil stuff right there."

"Indeed... but I'd like to try something. Pyro, do you have a lighter?" Pyro pointed to the flamethrower attached to his arm. "No, we don't need you to burn this room down, just a tiny flame will do." Pyro took a lighter from his pocket and flipped it on. Carefully, Forge held the link over the lighter. "Alright, can you intensify it a little?"

"No problem, mate." The flame grew brighter, turning a light blue hue. The link itself was beginning to glow a different shade of blue, almost white. Forge took a small hammer from his belt and pounded at the link, but it didn't budge. Quickly, Forge dropped it into the glass of water.

"Aww, that's my water!" Toad protested. Forge ignored him as the water evaporated, and the link returned to its normal grayish-black color. 

"It looks to be much more resilient when heated."

"So we won't set fire to the stuff," Toad said.

"Of course... but we can probably find a way to use that to our advantage..." 

-------------------------------

Private Paul McGregor, a member of General Bolivar Trask's Pure Blood movement, woke up in the middle of nowhere... quite literally. All he could see was a ubiquitous white light with no true source. He felt no ground beneath him, and was moving in one direction, but he couldn't tell if he was moving up, down, right, left, forwards or backwards. As far as he was concerned, gravity did not exist in this place. He could hear nothing except his own breathing. He felt a burning pain on his forehead.

"Is anyone there?" McGregor called, hoping for some answers. He waited. 

There was no reply.

-------------------------------

Apocalypse stood at his throne in the center of the great pyramid, a vast chamber with now windows, lit by unnatural torches. The Horseman of Death, Archangel, bowed before him. Behind him, kneeling in a perfect row were War, Famine and Pestilence: Storm, Havok, and Wanda. 

"We are prepared to die for your honor, master," Archangel spoke.

"I know. Each of you will lead a separate faction of my army. You will issue commands to the generals, who will carry out those commands."

"We're not going to be real generals then?" Wolverine asked from the side.

"Of course not. None of you has the mind of a general. You will only be seen as such by the men in your faction. If, for some reason, the Horsemen are unable to issue commands, then you will be given complete control of your armies. There are four factions: blue, red, white and black. Famine will be in charge of the blue army with Colossus under him. War will lead the white army, with Magma under her. Pestilence will lead the red army, and you will followe her every command, Wolverine." Wolverine nodded, but snarled under his breath. "The black army will be led by Sunspot, who will take orders from Death himself." 

"I will not disappoint you, master," Archangel said.

"No, you will not. The human army will be here by dusk. Prepare your men, and be prepared to show them your superiority." Archangel bowed and left the throne room with the other Horsemen. Wolverine snarled as he followed them with his fellow "generals." Outside the throne room, Wolverine pushed Archangel against the stone wall and growled at him.

"Are you upset?"

"You're damn right I am! I'm not gonna be bossed around by some mechanical dove, so you better stay out of my way and leave the commanding to me!" Wolverine emphasized his point by drawing his claws and holding them to Archangel's throat. The other Horsemen were prepared to pull him away, but Archangel shook his head. He looked at Wolverine with a stare that showed absolutely no fear. Wolverine blinked and in that moment of distraction he was on the floor, several feet away from Archangel. Archangel grabbed him by the throat and forced him to sit up.

"There's a reason why our master has chosen me to lead his men, Logan. When you forget that reason, you become his victim. I hope you are a good listener, because I'm not going to tell you this again." Archangel stretched his wings for a moment before motioning for the other Horsemen to follow him. Wolverine stood up, rubbing his throat and realizing his mistake, but feeling no different towards the Horseman of Death.

-------------------------------

With only a few hours left in the day, Forge called a meeting of the X-Men's remaining forces in the medical ward. Freddy Dukes remained in bed, while the others sat in chairs taken from other rooms. Assembled were Jean Grey, Converse; Katherine Pryde, Ariel; Johnny Allderdyce, Pyro; Pietro Lehnsherr, Quicksilver; Lance Alvers, Evan Daniels, Scott Darkholme, Todd "Toad" Darkholme, and Marie "Rogue" Darkholme, none of which had formal codenames, were also there.

"I'm not going to lie to you," Forge began. "This is a suicide mission. Any of us volunteering to go will not come back. Before I brief you on what this mission entails, I'm going to ask that anyone not willing to die attempting to stop this war raise their hands." And so they did. "Jean, Pietro, Pyro, Toad, Rogue... Evan, you're disqualified, so you don't have to worry." Forge quietly noticed that Freddy had not raised his hand. When Jean noticed this, she lowered hers. "Alright. You can all stay here. The rest of us will go to Egypt, and should we fail, you will have to hide here. If we do fail, Apocalypse will begin the next stage of his plan."

"Next stage?" Freddy asked.

"Yes. Once all human beings are eliminated, Apocalypse will pit all mutants against each other, further raping the philosophies of Darwin. Those who survive that stage will join Apocalypse in his vision of living paradise... heaven on Earth, so to speak."

"So if we don't die now," Pyro wondered, "We die later?"

"Yes, exactly."

"Fuck this, I'm going."

"Glad you could join us, Pyro. Now," Forge activated a projector on his left arm, which cast an image of Egypt against the white wall. The image zoomed in several times towards the northern part of the region until it showed a large pyramid with twelve stone towers around it. "We have very little real information about Apocalypse's base, but we know that it's housed in that pyramid. As far as I can tell, the towers are used for sentry duty and have no actual entrance, so my guess is that any mutants standing on those towers can fly, so we'd better be careful. Analyzing past human assaults, my guess is that Trask's army will enter the tower perimeter from the south and make its way north to storm the pyramid. We have no way of telling how Apocalypse will counter Trask's assault, so we will concentrate on Trask himself. Are we settled on who's going then?"

"I'm going," Scott said.

"If he's going, I'm going," Rogue said.

"I'm with them, family gotta stick together," Toad added. 

Forge smiled. "I knew the Darkholmes wouldn't let me down. Jean, Scott and Pyro will surrender to Trask's army and try to talk to Trask. Jean, I want you to concentrate on making Trask a little more open-minded, if you know what I mean."

"I'll try, but I can't guarantee anything."

"It's our only hope. The rest of you will distract both sides long enough for Trask to agree to withdraw his army."

"We won't last very long," Rogue said.

"I told you this was a suicide mission. Freddy and Evan will stay here with anyone who doesn't want to come... namely, Pietro. I'll be joining you in Egypt." The room grew silent. It had been several years since Forge had taken active duty with the X-Men. They weren't sure he would last even half as long as the rest of them.

"Forge, you'll be dead before you can touch anyone," Freddy told him. "You're as good to fight as I am at this point."

"Maybe, but unlike Apocalypse and Trask, I don't send my troops out to die if I'm not willing to die with them. Are there any questions?" There were no questions. "Alright. We leave in two hours. You have until then to settle your affairs."

-------------------------------

Shifter stared right at the beast. Yes, this was the monster that was once known as Kurt Darkholme... the one that devoured his own mother. The cage that kept Shifter safe from Nightcrawler had been carried with Apocalypse and his entourage from the Spanish base. Shifter wasn't sure why, but this beast intrigued him. It had the eyes of an animal, but he could see a sort of humanity behind them. He wondered if there was a way to change him back to his human form...

Shifter recieved an order from his master, in his head. He hated that. He felt as if a rake was being dragged across his head every time his master called him.

"NOW, SHIFTER."

He had thought about it too long. Shifter closed his eyes and disappeared. Within moments, he was in Apocalypse's throne room, bowing quickly before asking, "What is it, master?"

"Mastermind has finished his work on the child's mind. Now, you will do your part."

"Yes, of course," Shifter replied in a raspy hiss. "But the second one must be found first, master."

"Yes, and it is your job to find him.

"I know where he is... I always do... if we bring him out too soon, it may ruin the plan."

"You make a good point." Some of Apocalypse's servants wondered about Shifter sometimes. He was clearly not one of Apocalypse's strongest servants, nor was he particularly intelligent, yet Apocalypse listened to him. Shifter was obviously important to Apocalypse, but nobody was quite sure why such a fragile, insignificant mutant gained such respect from their master.

"Master," Beast said through an intercom on Apocalypse's throne. "They're forty miles from this base."

"Ahead of schedule. Shifter, how much longer until he is ready?"

"Two hours, and then we can proceed."

-------------------------------

Freddy walked outside... yes, Freddy indeed walked. Though he was still weak, he had regained enough strength to walk with the help of a rather sturdy pipe he was using as a cane. Jean sat outside on the dead grass outside the main building, facing the west. There was little to see that way, beyond the base fance, just a few mountains, and every so often, a bird taking flight, but that wasn't what Jean was looking at. The team's first hour was almost up, and it coincided with the setting of the sun.

"It's beautiful," Freddy said to her.

"Freddy, what are you doing out of bed? C'mon, we have to get you-"

"No, no, it's alright. I'm feeling better now." Freddy sat down next to her. They looked out at the setting sun without saying a word to each other. They didn't need to say anything. They had each other, and that was all that really mattered to them.

"Freddy," Jean said, remembering something relevant, "Do you remember what you told me that night, two years ago?"

"Of course I remember," Freddy told her, knowing exactly what she was talking about. Freddy quoted himself, "'Our lives are like the sun, Jean. You start life dim and tired, but as the day goes on, life gets brighter, until you're at that point when you're above everything else, and nothing can touch you. But life goes on. You begin a bittersweet fall towards the horizon, and it gets darker, but you don't care. Even if life is coming to end, it was a beautiful life, and you have no regrets. When you watch the sun set with someone, you look back at the day behind you, and you're glad that you spent that day with them. Jean, I want to watch the sun set with you by my side, until the day that it finally sets.'"

Jean giggled. "You remembered it word for word?"

"I had been practicing a bit before I said it to you. It's a little corny, but you know what, Jean? The sun's going to set tonight. I can't think of anyone else I'd want to see it with."

"Oh, Freddy," Jean sighed, wrapping her arms around the large man, "What would it have been like? What if none of this had happened and we could just be happy, without having to worry about the rest of the world's problems?"

"You know how it would've been. We'd have a nice house in the suburbs, have a few children... two cars in the garage, a few more when the kids turned sixteen... a barbecue in the backyard every Sunday... then the kids would go to college and get married, then when we turned old and gray, we'd sit on the porch and watch the sunset together."

"We'd get the same ending either way," Jean said, but her tone was relaxed. She wouldn't want it any other way. "You know something Freddy? I don't regret anything. If I could go back to the top of the sky, I wouldn't change a thing."

"Neither would I." Jean leaned forward and kissed Freddy, and for one long moment, the world around them disappeared. All of their fears and worries were gone. 

They had each other, and that was all that really mattered to them.

-------------------------------

Pyro sat in the waiting room with his old pal Evan, tossing a paper football back and forth across the table. They hadn't exchanged a single word since the beginning of their match. Evan found that he tolerated Pyro less when he was sober. When he was sober, he had other things to worry about.

"So Boner, did you have anything you wanted to do before you died?" A flat, pointed question. Pyro knew he wouldn't make it back, but he didn't care.

"Yeah, Flamer," came Evan's counter, "I would've liked to have gone to Miami."

"Nah you wouldn't. It's bloody overrated."

"Aw, really?"

"Yeah. Ain't worth the sand covering it, mate." Pyro didn't mean that, but he figured he'd be nice to Evan for a change. "Say, what do you think Tabby's doing?" Pyro's slip darkened Evan's mood considerably.

"I dunno, maybe she's killing some poor humans in the name of the mighty En Sabah Nur. You think it matters, Pyro? She's as good as gone anyway."

"You're right. Fuck her. Didn't like her much anyway."

"So that's it, she meant nothing to you?" Pyro raised an eyebrow at Evan. He had set him up. He wanted a reason to fight with Pyro.

"Look, Evan, very few things have ever mattered to me. You lived day-to-day just like I did, just like Tabby. She didn't care about me anymore than I cared about her. Fuck, there was nobody else around, we might as well have had ourselves a little fun, right?"

"So that's all me and her were to you, just two little shits following you around."

"Aw, grow the fuck up, Evan. You think the world's about you or something? No! Nobody gives a shit about you, not me, not Tabby, not your fucking Auntie O! Now you've got a broken arm and you get to sit around and watch the world fall apart around you, well that's bloody dandy, you want your blankie too?!"

"Man, why do you have to be such an assho-"

"'Cuz that's what you deserve! I can't believe that fatfuck Freddy's so nice to you! You're still a damn spoiled brat!" Pyro kicked the table away and stormed off, growling in frustration. Evan began to think about Pyro's words, and what Freddy had said to him earlier. Maybe he was being too idealistic. Maybe he would just have to accept that he never had any real friends and that his aunt was gone forever...

"Don't listen to him," Scott told him. "You'll get your aunt back."

"What makes you so sure?" Evan snapped, still not sure what to think.

"Lance woke up, didn't he? If you can get your aunt back, then we can get Wanda back." Evan nodded. He wanted to mention to Scott that his own brother had also been taken, but knowing that he wasn't on good terms with Alex for whatever reason, he decided it was best to just accept Scott's support. After all, it was Scott. The situation must have really gotten to him if he was being nice so suddenly, Evan thought. He knew why, of course. Scott had just told him.

-------------------------------

Wanda Lehnsherr did not stand in the armory to have enslaved mutants fit her with her battle armor. No, Wanda Lehnsherr was not standing there as a lance with Apocalypse's emblem on its tip was handed to her. Wanda Lehnsherr was not present as Wolverine's armor was being modified with added red coloring to denote his affiliation. The silver-haired woman with a lifeless glow in her eyes was Pestilence, and she was one-fourth of the elite team known as the Horsemen of Apocalypse.

Wanda had been fitted with unmetal armor plates over her form-fitting black outfit as a real horse was fitted with red-marked armor behind her. In front of her Wolverine stood at attention, awaiting his... commander's orders.

"We will attack from the right," Wanda said in a dry, monotone voice. Wanda did not look at him as she spoke, but looked straight ahead into space. With the exception of Death, the Horsemen were forbidden to speak, except to underlings outside of Apocalypse's presence, or if Death was not present to speak for them. Why they were forced to remain silent around their master was a mystery, even to them. "You are to keep me in your field of vision at all times. I will issue visual commands, and you will relay them to the troops. Is this understood?"

"Yes," Wolverine snarled. Wanda knew that Wolverine was not happy to take orders from her, though to say that she actually knew this was incorrect. Wanda herself didn't know this; Pestilence knew it. She didn't mind Wolverine's obvious discomfort with the situation. She knew that he was truly loyal to Apocalypse, and felt that he could only trust himself to carry out his master's orders and see them through.

Wanda knew her enemies. Humans, born only with the ability to pass judgment on others who weren't like them. The human population was dwindling, and they knew it. They were getting desperate. In their desperation, Wanda realized, they wouldn't put too much thought into their attack. All they knew was that they had to defeat their mutant enemies at all costs. Wanda reasoned that using their fear against them was their most effective strategy. 

"They will be poorly organized. Fear will keep them from carrying out any logical attack pattern. The faster you kill them, the more frightened the remaining humans will be."

"So you want me to slaughter them. Good. At least I can have some fun with this."

"This is not about your own amusement. This is about carrying out the will of our master. Do not forget that," Wanda coldly reminded him. Wolverine growled under his breath and slipped on his helmet. Two mutant servants helped Wanda onto her horse, and a torch was fastened to the top of her lance, then lit. Behind Wanda and Wolverine, several armed and armored mutants, bearing the red markings, stood ready to follow their leaders.

"We'll wait for his orders," Wolverine told them. "Don't waste any time with the humans. Kill them quickly."

-------------------------------

"So that's it, then. You're just gonna stay here."

"Yeah, exactly." 

The X-Men's two hours were up. Those who were going to Egypt to stop the war were boarding the Blackbird while Forge refueled it, and those who weren't were there in the base's hangar to see them off. Fred managed to stand with help from his makeshift cane-pipe, with Evan standing next to him. Pietro was there as well, and it seemed that Scott wouldn't get on board without having a few words with him.

"Good, then."

"Yeah. I agree."

"So it's settled."

"Yeah. Have fun."

"We will."

"Good." Scott stared at Pietro for a few more seconds before climbing into the Blackbird. Rogue and Toad sat in the front seats, and across from them, Jean sat alone. Behind her, Pyro took an extra seat to put his feet him, and across from him, Kate rested her head on Lance's shoulder. Scott took a set across from them and sighed.

"I've made the final checks, and we're ready to go," Forge announced as he entered the Blackbird and sat down in the pilot's seat.

"I should be in there with them," Freddy lamented as the Blackbird started moving out of the hangar. "Pietro, why didn't you go?"

"What kind of stupid question is that?! What am I going to do there, die for nothing?"

"Apocalypse has Magneto."

"Fuck Magneto!" Pietro yelled. "We never needed him anyway!"

"He's got Wanda, too." Pietro paused for a brief moment. The look on Evan's face told Pietro that he knew something.

"Well Scott can take care of her. She doesn't need her brother to watch after her! I'm gonna find myself a snack before you take it all," Pietro added with a forked tongue. Though Freddy wasn't insulted, he was annoyed at Pietro's selfish attitude. The Blackbird had long cleared the hangar and taken off.

"What now?" Evan asked.

"We wait and see how everything turns out."

-------------------------------

The sun had long since set over the Egyptian Base. There was no activity outside of the base, and nobody, human or mutant, was visible under the bright moon.

They could not be seen, but the humans could be heard.

From the south, the Carrier Sentinels quickly approached the base. Ninety Sentinels in all, thirty of which were silver in color and equipped with the deadly XT system, landed just outside the tower perimeter. The towers themselves stood nearly five times the height of the Sentinels, but General Trask didn't care. The Carriers unloaded their cargo gently onto the ground. General Trask himself sat at the controls of the command station, which was itself just a modified carrier module. Arcade was seated next to him, looking at a screen displaying the technical readouts of the Sentinels.

"All systems are working at maximum efficiency, General."

"Good." Trask put in a headset through which he would issue commands to his troops. "This is General Trask. All troops onto the field." Arcade entered the command to open the carriers. The troops ran out of their carriers, stopping a short distance from them and aiming their flashlight-equipped rifles at the pyramid, though their combined light was not strong enough to make much of a difference outside their immediate area. "Hold your positions. We'll wait for them to make the first move."

Near the peak of the pyramid, on a small extended platform leading out from the core of the pyramid, Apocalypse himself watched over the battleground. Magneto knelt on the floor next to him, bound by chains, with Mesmero standing behind him. Magneto had been tortured by Apocalypse's servants once more, and now his skin was covered with scars, gashes, burn marks and needle wounds. He only had one eye left to see, and Apocalypse had made sure that his servants left that eye intact. Under normal circumstances, so much abuse would have long ago killed Magneto, but Apocalypse wanted Magneto to live. Magneto was forced to endure the physical pain, but also the emotional pain. His own son had taken his right eye and left him for dead, and now his only daughter was one of Apocalypse's loyal minions. Magneto wished that he could die, but Apocalypse kept control of Magneto's body functions. 

"Look at them, Magnus," Apocalypse bellowed. "These are the people your dear friend Charles Xavier wanted to save. He believed that they could share the world with us, and yet, they are prepared to die trying to exterminate us. Is this what you fought for? Watch this, Magnus, I want you to see it. I want to see the look on your face when you see that your friend was mistaken and you've spent your life pursuing a lie."

Magneto said nothing in response.

"Did you know what General Trask said? Of course not. But I do. He told his soldiers to let me make the first move." Apocalypse motioned to Mesmero, who grabbed the back of Magneto's head and seized control. Magneto remained completely aware of his surroundings, but no longer controlled his actions; he could only watch.

The Sentinel at the front of the lines turned its head backwards and looked down at the human soldiers. They took a few steps back, not sure what was happening. "General Trask, sir," one of the frontline commanders said, "The Sentinel is looking down at us... what's going on?"

"Arcade, check the system," Trask ordered.

"It's not responding... none of them are!"

"It's walking towar-" The commander was cut off as the Sentinel stepped over him. The troops immediately scattered as every other Sentinel began to march around the area, though none fired their weapons.

"Now," Apocalypse commanded. The first Sentinel raised both arms and fired on the other with a barrage of bullets, missiles, laser fire, and because all of its weapons were being deployed, gas cans and short-range bombs rained down on the human troops. They ran clear of the bombs and slipped on gas masks from their backpacks to avoid the gas, though a few slower soldiers were caught and choked.

"Damn it, Arcade, what is going on?!" Trask shouted.

"Sir, something else controlling them... there might be some signal interference or something..."

"Shut them down, we can't afford to lose our men!" Arcade sent out a complete shut-down signal for the Sentinels. The first Sentinel's lights powered down along with the others, whose limbs fell limp, but the weapons continued firing. The Sentinel's ammunition ran out and it fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of sand that obscured the surviving soldiers' visions. "Of course," Trask muttered as the command center's cameras zoomed in on the top of the pyramid. "Magneto. And here I almost thought he was a good man, for a mutant, and it turns out he's on Apocalypse's side."

Apocalypse waved his right hand. The four armies began to rise from ramp-entrances located at the bases of the four towers closest to the pyramid. The Horsemen marched at the front of their armies on horseback, each fitted with armor marked with their respective color and carrying a lance with Apocalypse's emblem, and attached to it, a regular torch. Wanda, Pesilence, approached with her Red Army from the west-most tower. Havok, Famine, came from the east with the Blue Army. In the middle, coming from the north, the White and Black armies marched side-by-side as War, Storm, rode at the front of both armies. The only Horseman not on horseback was Death, now appearing as his namesake high above the sky. He wore armor like the others and likewise carried the symbolic lance with its torch, but his face was covered by a golden mask in the likeness of a human skull with black markings on it that resembled those on Apocalypse's own face. Archangel was the symbol of En Sabah Nur's power, and now he personified it.

Apocalypse waved his left hand. Mastermind, standing on the tower that the Blue Army had emerged from, began to twitch his fingers and his eyes produced a pale white light. The torches all changed color to those who were susceptible to Mastermind's power, and each Horseman carried a torch bearing the color of their army. 

Just a few miles away, Caliban looked up.

"We have guests..." Looking up, Callisto waved to the Blackbird.

"Wait, land here," Scott told Forge. "I know them. It looks like they have something to say." Trusting him, Forge landed the Blackbird a short distance from the private Jet.

"You're too late," Callisto told them. "The fight's already begun."

"Change of plans, then," Forge said. "We ignore Trask and try to find Kevin."

"I agree," Callisto said. She clearly knew something about Kevin that they didn't. "A few of us can go in and save him while the rest of us try to stop Apocalypse's armies."

"Well how do we do THAT?!"

"A good friend of ours happens to be a high-ranking member of Apocalypse's organization." Callisto rolled out a map on a large stone, but with no light, she couldn't read it. "I don't suppose one of you has a li-"

"Right here, luv!" Pyro kept a steady flame near the map. Forge, Scott, Jean, Toad, Rogue and Lance crowded around Callisto and the map. 

"Alright. We have the main pyramid here, and twelve towers. It goes without saying that most of the base is actually underground, with a few chambers in the pyramid and entrances at the base of each tower and the pyramid itself. The four Horsemen are leading the armies with torches to help the troops see their commanders, and Mastermind is at the top of this tower projecting different colors onto the torches for reference. Going through the tower itself would be suicide, but if we could climb up on the outside, we would be able to take Mastermind by surprise, and once the torches are back to being orange, the troops will have a hard time following commands."

"I'll do it," Jean volunteered.

"You won't be alone," Toad said. 

"Then you two will be in charge of that. The rest of us will go after the Horseman and their generals and at least keep them busy long enough to get inside and get the baby out."

"Who's going after which Horseman?" Cain asked. "I can't see any of these kids taking them on."

"Lance, Rogue and Scott will go after Alex," Forge said. Immediately, Kate protested.

"I'm going with Lance," Kate insisted.

"Alright, Lance, Kate and Scott. Rogue, Pyro and I will go after Wanda. Divide the other two among your team."

"Very well," Callisto agreed. "Dr. Marko and Sabretooth, you two will battle War."

"I'm not working with this mongrel."

"Who are you calling a mongrel, you-"

"Shut up, both of you!" Callisto yelled. "Our options are limited and you're the strongest ones here. Caliban and I will worry about Death."

"But that's everyone," Forge said. "We'll need someone to try to get into the base."

"I'll go," Pietro said. Forge did a double-take; Pietro had actually been standing next to him for most of the meeting, but nobody had noticed. A small Air Force jet stood behind the Blackbird, and Freddy and Evan were making their way towards them. Jean rushed to Freddy and Evan exchanged a high-five with Pyro.

"Freddy, Evan, what are you-"

"We decided it was better to end it now than just wait for it," Freddy explained. Forge reluctantly nodded. "Squeeze me in with one of the teams, you know I'm good for a fight."

"Freddy, you'll go with Lance and Kate. Evan, you come with Rogue and I. Scott and Pyro will go with Pietro."

"Once we're done with the Horsemen..." Callisto explained.

"If we get that far," Jean mumbled. Callisto ignored her.

"...We'll all find a way inside the base to better our chances of finding Kevin. Are we all ready then?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Let's get out there and show them what we're good for!"

Archangel landed facing Trask's army, with Storm behind him. The mutant soldiers stopped and took a good look at the equally-sized human army, with its fifteen remaining Sentinels, three of which were XT Sentinels.

"Hold your ground men, remember to let them make the first move."

"For the glory of our lord, our master, our teacher and father, you will all become dust under the feet of the mighty Apocalypse!" Archangel yelled. With a gesture of his hand, all four armies charged forward. Not to be taken so easily, the humans aimed their rifles and opened fire.

EH-WHAT?! Ending the chapter right before the big battle? MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... okay, be patient. Next chapter will be a little more interesting. Will people fight? Yes! Will people die? It's possible. Will your favorite characters still be standing by the end of the chapter? WAIT AND SEE! Also in the next chapter, you will finally learn what Kevin's deal is! I guarantee you'll love the next chapter!

And by love I mean like.

And by guarantee I mean hope.

And by chapter I mean fish cannon... wait, no. Nevermind. Forget I said that.


	14. Takla Sharwa

Ladies and gentlemen, this is not the final chapter... that comes next time. So what happens this time? Well, everything changes here. What is Kevin's purpose, and likewise, what does he have to do with Private McGregor? Also, there'll be some... "roster shuffling" now. Some of you will hate me when this chapter is over... in fact, most of you will hate me. Hell, some of you may not even stick around for the last chapter out of disgust for what happens to some of the characters here... oh wait, have I given too much away? Damn. Well, have fun reading, YOU LEMMING... I mean, ADORING FANS, YOU. Just so you don't get confused, there will be flashbacks to the "original" timeline throughout the chapter (or in some cases, flash-forwards... or whatever), so if you see characters suddenly go back to the original Evolution versions, you'll know what's going on. Be warned, though; this chapter is the longest one yet, and the next chapter probably won't be this long. Oh, and excuse the grammar.

Chapter Eleven - Takla Sharwa

...Once the vessel had made its trip through time and space, to the top of Makalu Peak in the Himalayan mountains on the border of Nepal and Tibet, Professor Charles Xavier used his connection through the cerebral interface to open it. They had finally arrived at the tomb of Apocalypse.

Professor Xavier was not alone. He had set out to explore the Sphinx in Giza with his former friend and current enemy, Magneto, and both had brought along their best fighters: Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat and Iceman from the X-Men, and Colossus, Pyro and Quicksilver from Magneto's Acolytes.

The strange vessel, which Professor Xavier had learned originated from an undetermined point several centuries beyond their current point in time, had led them right to the tomb of Apocalypse, hidden at the top of the highest mountains of the world and sealed behind three doors. Months prior, a green-tattooed agent of Apocalypse named Mesmero had taken control of Jean Grey and several of Professor Xavier's students, and acquired a set of rings, which formed a key to the first door.

Only weeks prior, Mesmero had tricked Magneto into destroyed the spider guardian, an event which led to the opening of the second door. Now, Professor Xavier and Magneto looked at the tomb. A battle had taken place there, and Magneto's minions, Gambit and Sabretooth, were recovering from it.

"What happened?" Magneto asked.

"We were going for Rogue," Gambit explained. "But Mesmero blocked the way." This time, Mesmero had taken control of Rogue, who along with Mystique was to be used as the final key. Magneto looked at the open doorway.

"He has opened the third door," Magneto said with a clear tone of defeat.

"Even so," Professor Xavier told him. "We must stop Apocalypse from crossing through the door, at all costs... I sense him. He is coming this way!" 

En Sabah Nur, dressed in the ancient costume of a pharaoh and glowing white with unnatural energy, hovered towards them. Immediately, the two teams were prepared to stop him. En Sabah Nur glanced at them, raised his hands, and brought them together with a thunderous clap.

That was the end of the battle. A brilliant white energy swept through the chamber, throwing aside all of En Sabah Nur's enemies, no matter how strong or heavy they were. They had never experienced power like this before, and none stood in Apocalypse's way. Professor Xavier, thrown out of his motorized wheelchair, began to issue commands, but it was futile. Only one of the assembled mutants had enough strength left to stand, and as En Sabah Nur floated towards Rama-Tut's vessel, Magneto raised his hand in a vain effort to draw him out with his control of magnetic fields.

En Sabah Nur felt Magneto's pull. He paused for a moment, looked down at his weak attacker, and released another wave of energy, making sure that all who opposed him were punished for their foolishness. Unable to stand against Apocalypse's power, Magneto fell back, unable to stand again. Apocalypse turned back to the vessel and sealed himself inside. Within moments, he was gone.

"We... failed," Magneto said with pain, both physical and mental, in his voice.

"Yes... our greatest battle is just beginning." After taking a few moments to recover, Magneto helped Professor Xavier back into his chair, and the others all slowly got back up. "It seems Apocalypse has left Mesmero behind." Mesmero sat up against the wall next to the doorway to the tomb. He groaned and blinked a few times before attempting to stand. As he did, a large metal hand took hold of his throat and lifted him into the air. 

"Your master has abandoned you," Magneto said, standing next to Colossus. "You will tell us everything."

"You fools," Mesmero laughed. "Everything has gone as planned... whatever I tell you... is irrelevant."

"Very well. Crush him."

"Magnus, wait," Professor Xavier interjected. "It's clear that he won't tell us anything willingly. You said before that you had someone see into his mind?"

"Yes, be it yielded only enough information to keep us from finding the truth," Magneto revealed, referring back to the spider guardian fiasco.

"Then perhaps a stronger mind can get what we need..." Professor Xavier pressed his hand against Mesmero's face and concentrated.

"Argh... eeegh... you will... learn... nothing... AAAIGH!" Professor Xavier drew his hand away and stopped to rest his mind.

"What did you find?" Magneto asked impatiently.

"...I know where he is going."

"That's a start."

"Yes, but we are still no match for Apocalypse. We'll have to wait until the time is right..."

"We have no time, Charles!" Magneto yelled. 

"Magnus, please, if we rush-"

"The longer we wait, the stronger Apocalypse becomes. We're going." Magneto summoned six metal spheres outside of the tomb's entrance, and his minions climbed inside. Before they were sealed, his son, Quicksilver, stopped to ask him a question.

"Do you really think we're strong enough to take on Apocalypse?"

"No," Magneto said with all honesty. "We will find more recruits before we battle him again, but time is against us. If need be, we will join forces with the X-Men once more. Pietro, accelerate your training. Your own team my be useful to me."

-------------------------------

"First thing's first," Scott said to Pietro and Pyro at the base of Mastermind's tower. "We have to find a way in."

"Everyone's too busy fighting, they ain't gonna notice," Toad said. He and Jean were also present, preparing to climb the tower to Mastermind himself. "Listen, we gotta take care of this."

"I understand. Stay cool, bro."

"See you on the other side!" Jean wrapped her arms around Toad's neck and he hopped upwards a good fifteen feet. He grabbed hold of the gaps between the stone slabs that composed the tower, waited a few seconds to prepare himself, and jumped up another ten feet.

"Callisto said one of the armies came out from under the tower, right?" Pyro asked. "We gotta look there, then!"

"No, they'll see us," Pietro said.

"So?! They're gonna see us anyway!" Scott yelled. He looked at the base of the tower, but saw only sand. He started brushing it aside, but he couldn't find anything. "Pietro, make yourself useful and kick up some of this sand."

"Yes, fearless leader," Pietro said with a sneer. He ran around the base of the tower, throwing around enough sand to reveal a metal floor. Scott looked down at it and fired his eye-beams, creating only a small dent. "Nice work. Why don't we try ramming our heads into it while we're at it?"

"Pietro, I am THIS close to ditching this fucking mission and blowing that pencil-neck of yours right off!"

"Who are you calling pencil-neck, greaser?!"

"We're in."

"Greaser?! Come here you whiny little-"

"I said we're in!" Pyro yelled. Scott and Pietro looked down to see that a hole had been burned through the floor, with the liquefied metal starting to cool into place. "I think that makes me the leader here, don't you agree?" Scott and Pietro exchanged glances, then scowled at him. "Or not... I'm not the leader, so it's not my place to decide who the leader should be..."

The human troops fell back as the mutants advanced. They aimed for the gaps between the armor, but in their panic, their aim had been thrown off. On her mount, Storm waved her white torch and Magma motioned for all troops to charge forward.

"Ain't gonna happen!" Cain appeared between the humans and the White Army, wearing a black chestplate with a black, dome-shaped helmet attached, and threw a single arbitrary punch into the mass of the mutant army. Several mutants fell back from the force of the blow, some of which didn't get back up. Storm waved her torch again.

"Ignore the humans," Magma commanded. "Stop him!"

"Stupid idea, girly," Cain laughed. Some of the humans, recognizing Cain as a mutant, began to fire at him, but their weapons had no effect on him. The others concentrated on the same mutants Cain was attacking. Magma herself fired a continuous stream of fire at Cain but it did nothing more than tickle him. She intensified the fire hoping that it would overwhelm him, but all it did was exhaust her energy. She stopped to take a breathe, still glowing white-hot in her powered form. The mutants around her rushed to the aid of their commander and launched all sorts of mutant attacks on Cain; fireballs, electric discharge, one even fired a spray of poisoned needles. Cain tossed them aside with a powerful thrust of his arm, then pounded his fist into the Egyptian sand as hard as he could. The resulting sand cloud flew up and blinded everyone, including Cain himself... everyone except Magma. With her fiery form still activated, the sand that reached her melted instantly into liquid glass and bonded to her skin instantly. She was immune to the heat of her own power, but not to that of outside forces. She turned off her flame and fell screaming to the ground as the glass cooled and hardened right onto her. Some of her troops rushed to her aid, but one attacked Cain in anger, a mutant armed not with a rough sword or an axe, but a katana, the sword of the legendary samurai.

Cain blocked the Samurai's sword blow, but he felt such strength within it that he almost staggered back. The Samurai had the ability to focus intense strength into his sword, a strength almost equal to Cain. The Samurai was almost too fast for Cain to block, but at the very least, Cain was kept busy.

"Well what are you looking at?!" Cain yelled. Sabretooth had just been sitting on the ground the entire time. He shrugged and jumped into the crowd, slashing away at the mutant soldiers. Cain blocked another slash from the Samurai, then grabbed the blade with both hands and snapped it in half. Startled, the Samurai began to retreat, but Cain grabbed his arm and flung him into the air. He landed somewhere among his army, taking a few others down with him. "Creed, you're too slow!" Cain charged into the army, crushing mutants with his fists and his feet. "Where's War?"

"Behind you!" Sabretooth yelled. Cain turned around to find Storm, off her horse, floating in the air right behind him. He staggered back as she grabbed his domed helmet and charged it with electric energy. It wasn't anything Cain couldn't handle, but he knew that Storm was stronger than that. Reflexively, he threw his fist at her, but she flew back in the blink of an eye, still firing electric energy into the helmet from several feet back.

"Sabretooth!"

"I'm busy!" Sabretooth growled as he slashed the face of a green mutant with a red monocle. "You're a big boy, you can take care of yourself!"

"Sabretooth, get over here!"

"Alright, you big baby!" Sabretooth kicked off a red-eyed mutant and tackled Storm to the ground. Cain shook his head and stretched.

Havok waved his blue torch upward as an XT Sentinel marched forward. Immediately, Colossus grabbed its foot and lifted it. More mutants jumped onto it, launching energy attacks into it. The XT Sentinel's eyes brightened and it activated its anti-mutant field. The lesser mutants fell off, but Colossus continued holding the XT Sentinel up by one foot. With his power slowly diminishing, he found it more and more difficult to hold it.

Havok stopped and fired a bright red beam at the XT Sentinel's head. With the resulting explosion, Colossus's strength return, and he toppled the dead machine onto the human soldiers behind it. Colossus jumped onto the wreckage and ran forward to attack the human soldiers. Their bullets ricocheted off his thick skin that appeared to turn into metal whenever light was flashed onto it. He slammed his powerful fist into the head of an enemy commander, splattering thick red blood over him and the other humans. Frightened, the humans began to fall back and let their Sentinels fight for them. Three regular Sentinels marched towards the pyramid at Colossus's left. He looked behind him to see Havok waving his blue torch towards them. Colossus led the Blue Army to the Sentinels. Before they had even arrived, one of them began firing down on a trio of mutants who wore no armor. Colossus recognized one of them as being the previous incarnation of Famine, Lance Alvers. 

"What do we do about the Sentinels?" Freddy asked.

"We'll have to fight them," Lance answered.

"Maybe they'll go after the others instead."

"Yeah, that might work. We'll just have to wait and see." The Sentinels saw the Blue Army rushing towards them and turned their attention towards them. A green beam cut through the ranks like a burning knife, but still the mutants rushed forward. A sharp-toothed mutant was hurled at the Sentinel's head by a larger, green-haired mutant, and producing two long blades from his forearms, sliced into the Sentinel's head and deactivated it. It toppled over onto the second one, which pushed its demolished counterpart aside and destroyed the sharp-toothed mutant with a hail of gunfire. The other remaining Sentinel launched a volley of missiles into the gathering army, crushing more mutants and depleting the total numbers. 

"The Sentinels will surely kill us all," Colossus said to Lance.

"What are you suggesting?"

"If we are to continue our battle, we must first deal with our common enemy."

"Right." Lance created a powerful tremor that knocked one of the Sentinels on its back, but the second avoided it and took to the sky while several of Colossus's men jumped onto the downed Sentinel to make sure it didn't stand back up. It was Kate who finished it off by phasing through the Sentinel's head and disrupting its circuitry, and she smiled when Lance gave her a thumbs up. Following Havok's signal, Colossus motioned to one of the others and pointed up at the Sentinel. The young mutant held her fists together and charged a sphere of purple energy. On Colossus's command, she released it and shot it at the airborne Sentinel, destroying the central motors in its torso. Colossus motioned again, and several mutants cleared the way for the Sentinel's wreckage to land without hurting anyone. "With that settled..."

"Wait," Colossus said. "We are on the same side."

"What?" Freddy said. "What do you mean?"

"It will take some time to explain, and that is time we do not have." 

"What about Alex?" Kate asked. "Is he with you?"

"Famine is loyal to Apocalypse." Kate sighed, and looked down. Lance wanted to comfort her, but knew there was no time for that. "If you are with Callisto, then I know your objective. By taking human lives I have convinced both sides of my allegiance, and the human army will deal with them. I will help you."

"You'll need all the help you can get," Havok said, standing behind Colossus. He jumped off his horse and fired a wide beam that threw Colossus, Lance, and Kate back... but Freddy held his ground.

"C'mon, Alex, I know your strengths and weaknesses," Freddy yelled, resisting Havok's power. "You know you can't move me that easily."

Havok said nothing in reply, not even intensifying his beam as Freddy marched forward. In his distraction, Havok failed to notice Colossus sneaking up behind him. 

Wanda did not have the luxury of a horse as the others had; an XT Sentinel had already knocked her off her mount and attacked her mercilessly. Even with its anti-mutant field activated, Wanda was capable of at least causing its projectile attacks to miss, even if by only a slight margin. Though a few mutants attempted to come to her aid, Wolverine took advantage of the situation and began issuing his own commands, completely ignoring his leader. With claws extended, he hacked through the human army, intending to go after Trask himself. He didn't care how gruesome his methods were. He didn't even care if his victims were completely dead, leaving several to suffer slowly and wait for their deaths. Wolverine slice off the barrel of a human soldier's rifle and thrust his other set of claws into the man's face and tossed him aside. Any human that fired quickly learned how effective his healing factor had become. He had been shot in the face four times since the beginning of the battle, and yet, he appeared to have no injuries of any kind, save some blood that had initially leaked out before the bullet was ejected and the wound sealed. The humans learned quickly and kept their distance from him. So Pestilence had been right all along. 

He stopped for a moment and ordered his troops to move forward without him. He smelled something... many things, actually... that hadn't been there before... he smelled the X-Men. There were a few others he smelled, but couldn't recognize... and one he knew all too well.

"Where are you, Sabretooth," Wolverine whispered to himself. He moved towards the source of the scent, ignoring the army he had taken command of.

Wanda pushed forward with all of her strength and the anti-mutant field vanished. She wiggled her fingers, and the XT Sentinel shut down entirely. Quickly, she got back on her horse and lifted the red torch up. She rode forward to find Wolverine, but seeing him abandoning his own men, she rode ahead to try to choose another commander. She realized then that it was no use, as only Wolverine had been drilled on her command signals. Apocalypse's plan was flawed, Wanda realized.

No, it wasn't. Apocalypse was the master. His plan was flawless.

Wanda shook off her earlier doubt and continued forward. Finding nobody that she knew would be fit to lead the army, she jumped off her horse and decided to take active command herself. What was the point of having her relay signals to someone else? 

There had to be a point. Apocalypse would have removed such a detail if it had no point.

Archangel looked down at a regular orange flare waving around in a triangular pattern. He recognized the signal and recognized Caliban holding the torch. With his black torch, he signaled to Sunspot to lead the army forward, towards Trask. Once the army had gone past Callisto and Caliban, ignoring them, Archangel landed to meet them.

"We have the X-Men with us," Callisto explained. "They're going for the other Horsemen."

"Do you have anyone to cover the child?" Archangel asked. Callisto and Caliban nodded. "The humans are putting up a better fight then I had anticipated, thanks to those Sentinels." Colossus made his way past several mutants running into the battle, which had now moved south, away from the pyramid as the humans doubled back, carrying Havok over his shoulder. "Colossus. Is he alive?"

"He is unconscious."

"He will be alright then. We'll need to find Mystique's daughter so that she can absorb the spark, as she did with his predecessor."

"She's gone after Pestilence, with Forge and War's nephew."

"I'll keep up the facade. Find them and take Pestilence down." Archangel slipped his golden skull mask back onto his head and returned to the sky. Sunspot motioned for the mutant troops to march forward, though slowly.

Storm summoned a devastating wind to throw Sabretooth away from her, but Cain resisted. She dispersed the wind and pointed her arms into the sky. Cain pushed aside a wide-eyed mutant before realizing what Storm was doing. He rushed to tackle her before she could strike, but he was not fast enough. A bolt of lightning came down from the sky right into Cain's domed helmet, conducting it right into his head and his entire body twitched and moved uncontrollably as he screamed in pain. A heartbeat later, he fell back, thick black smoke pouring out of the openings in his helmet. Sabretooth tried to tackle her from behind again, but a quick gust of wind threw him back. Storm was fortunate that there was someone else in the vicinity willing to deal with Sabretooth. 

"Leave him to me. You got some troops to command," Wolverine growled. Storm nodded, picked up her lance, and led the army forward. Sabretooth stood back up, only to be stabbed in the stomach by the durable claws of Wolverine.

"Logan..."

"Yeah, it's Logan alright. Long time no see, Creed." Sabretooth swiped Wolverine's head, knocking the metal mask off. Wolverine jumped back and began to tear the rest of his armor off. "I don't need no tin suit, bub."

"You always took the easy way out, Logan."

"I always took the smart way out." Wolverine ran forward slashing, but Sabretooth jumped over him and kicked his back. Wolverine spit out some sand and stood back up. "You're just making this harder, Creed. Why don't you do the smart thing and just let me finish you off right now, like Fury did?"

"So you killed him... you killed Rogers, too?"

"If you wanna get technical, Cap committed suicide," Wolverine told him with a malicious grin. "You're the last one, Creed. All your buddies are dead and you've got nothing to live for."

"You're nothing but a tool, Wolverine! You've never been able to think for yourself!" Sabretooth slashed Wolverine's face, only to watch as it healed in the blink of an eye. "What?!"

"Apocalypse's influence!" Wolverine slashed Sabretooth's chest, then his arm, and finally his face. Sabretooth backed away as he waited for the wounds to begin healing, but Wolverine kept trying to land more attacks. Sabretooth grabbed both of his wrists and slammed his head into Wolverine's face.

"AARGH!"

"Care to try that again? My bones are stronger than adamantium now!" Wolverine jumped at him and plunged his claws into Sabretooth's shoulder. He received a swipe to the chest in return, but it healed almost instantly. Sabretooth kept clawing at his chest, but nothing lasted long enough to damage Wolverine. Wolverine grinned, showing his dull gray teeth, and stabbed Sabretooth in the face. Sabretooth struggled against the pain, now unable to see and barely able to breathe. Wolverine retracted his claws and Sabretooth began to heal... but the damage was too great. Wolverine's claws had penetrated into Sabretooth's brain, and his breathe was too difficult to hold up until he was done healing. "Dying's a bitch, ain't it?"

"Wol... Wolverine..."

"Don't waste your breath now, Creed," Wolverine said with a grin. With a final thrust into his face, Wolverine finished Sabretooth. He growled triumphantly and looked back towards the battle... then he smelled something. With the sound of thunder, a snarling beast appeared behind him and pinned him to the ground face-down. Unable to see, he struggled to get up under the beast's weight as it mauled him. Within moments, it disappeared again. Wolverine stopped to let the wounds heal, which took a little longer than usual, before he stood back up. He saw the beast appear again on top of a damaged Sentinel and begin attacking everything it could find, human and mutant.

"Nightcrawler? Who let him out?" Wolverine shrugged, then smelled something else that caught his attention. He turned his attention to one of the towers.

Colonel Matthews looked at a display on a table in the middle of command center showing the human forces being driven back by the mutants. The Sentinels were of little help. 

"This isn't working," Matthews told General Trask. "There's still too many of them."

"Have a little faith, Colonel, our men will pull through." 

"Why isn't the winged horseman attacking?" Trask looked at the display and noticed that Archangel was just flying around, and the soldiers under his command were moving forward very slowly.

"Peculiar. Bring me a report on this mutant," Trask told a soldier standing nearby. It was in his hands within minutes. "Warren Worthington the third, became an agent of Apocalypse sometime within the last ten years. Hmm... nothing on here indicates that he would wait like this. Any agent of Apocalypse would surely rush into battle."

"He might have something planned."

"Yes, I thought that too. All we can do for now is wait."

Scott stood at the release control for the cage that held Nightcrawler. Rather than attack them when released, Scott's mutated brother simply teleported away. 

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Pyro yelled.

"You have any idea how dangerous that thing is?!" Pietro added.

"That 'thing' is my brother!" Scott yelled back. "And besides, he'll keep the army up there busy for a little while. Now which way to Apocalypse's control room, or wherever it is he's keeping Kevin?"

"We can in through there," Pietro said, pointing to the doorway at one end of the cell hold that led to a tunnel that connected all twelve towers to the pyramid. "So logically, it'll be that way." Pietro pointed to the only other exit in the room.

"Right. Let's keep going then." 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, not so fast," Gambit said, entering the room with Cannonball and Rahne. "It's nice that you boys have come to join us, but just what do you plan to accomplish?"

"Out of our way, Gambit," Scott told him. "This doesn't involve you."

"No, but it does involve our boss. Now, we'd like to stay in his favor, so it looks like we're gonna have to fix this little 'intruder' problem!" Gambit smacked Scott right in the chin with his staff, then used it to launch himself forward and kick him to the ground. Cannonball launched himself at Pietro, who quickly dodged. Rahne just stood at the doorway.

"Oh. Guess that's you and me, huh?" Pyro said. He casually aimed his flamethrower at her, then held it back. "Naw, I can't do it. You're just too cute..." Before he could bring his flamethrower forward again, Wolfsbane pounced on him and tried to bite at him, but he managed to block her teeth with his flamethrower.

Scott fired an optic blast at Gambit, who did a backflip, then another to avoid the second blast, then as he avoided a third, he threw a set of charged needles at him. Scott barely managed to dodge them in time as they exploded against the glass wall of Nightcrawler's cell. Cannonball flew past him and he fired another blast at Gambit, hitting him in the arm. Before he could recover, he hit him in the chest.

"So much for that." Scott blasted Wolfsbane off of Pyro, then hit Cannonball in the head right as he came out of another launch. "Alright, I've saved your asses, let's get out of here." Quickly, they left the room.

"I told you this was a bad idea," Cannonball muttered to Gambit.

"Shut your mouth! You wanna be on the wrong side when the big war comes?"

"I don't know if it makes a difference anymore," Rahne said.

"Fine! You two weaklings can stay here and mope all you want. I'm going after them and proving to Apocalypse that I've got what it takes to stand at his side!" Gambit stood up and ran after the others.

"He's nuts," Cannonball said. "Now what do we do?"

"We do what we know is right."

"Which is?"

"You tell me..."

-------------------------------

...By then, Apocalypse had grown considerably in power. It was with great reluctance that Magneto had accepted Professor Xavier's plan to bide their time, and Professor Xavier had accepted Magneto's idea of mass-recruitment. There were flaws in each of their ideas; Xavier had made them wait too long, and Magneto had been unable to train such a large amount of mutants. By the time they were ready to fight, it was already too late, and there weren't nearly enough mutants available to take on the increasingly powerful Apocalypse. Alone, these mistakes would have been disastrous: together, they were fatal. They had long ago cost Magneto his life, and the lives of Xavier's X-Men.

"Takla... Takla..." Professor Xavier called. Takla Sharwa, one of the many new recruits Magneto had found, ran to the fallen Professor's side. Xavier and several newer mutants had tracked Apocalypse to a black, volcanic-rock cavern in Northern Italy. The moment he sensed their presence, Apocalypse manipulated the cavern itself and created a rockslide that caved the cavern in, so to speak. It was too late for Takla's fellow mutants; the seven others who had come with him had perished. Only Professor Xavier, who had been thrown forward by his chair when Apocalypse created the seismic disturbance, had survived, though he wouldn't last much longer. His body had been pinned down by a large chunk of the cavern ceiling, and his breathe grew short and forced.

"Professor... I'll help you out, give me a second..." Takla was still young, having only recently turned seventeen, with short black hair and narrow brown eyes. He was dressed in the common black X-Recruit jumpsuit, as all of his fellow recruits had been. He had rushed to Xavier's side, but he had no delusions about the situation. He knew that his comrades were gone, and that his leader would soon join them... but he didn't want to leave him there, either. He knew Professor Xavier would die, but at the same time, he hoped that he wouldn't.

"...Get out of here, Takla... you're not match... no match for Apocalypse..."

"You'll all have died in vain..."

"If at least one of us... one survives... then our cause... is not lost." Professor Xavier gasped, and his head fell limp. Takla Sharwa muttered a quick prayer, and stood up. Professor Xavier had told him to run, but Takla had absolutely no intention of doing that. He turned around to face the darkness of the cavern, where Apocalypse had gone. Now there was nothing to hold him back.

Apocalypse paused as he sense not only the younger mutant's anger, but his increasing power as well. The deaths of his comrade had awakened a surge of power within him that even Apocalypse had to take notice. A few of his servants milled about the metal chamber at the end of the cavern tunnel, but none could sense what Apocalypse did. He motioned for them to stop what they were doing and prepare themselves.

The moment Takla entered the chamber, Apocalypse's servants began to fall. Takla had gained unnatural strength and tossed even the strongest of followers aside in his rage. His eyes were glowing a bright, pale green, and slowly, his skin began to turn this same shade of green, and when it did, his very touch burned those he touched, igniting them in a bright display of green energy. Apocalypse grew concerned.

"Apocalypse!" Takla yelled. His voice clearly came from his mouth, but the sound felt as if it had no specific direction, as if it came from every direction at once. "You won't leave this cave alive!"

Takla threw his fist at Apocalypse will all of his mutant strength, but Apocalypse easy caught it in his hand. He pressed down on Takla's fist, ignoring the burning pain, but it wasn't enough. Takla applied pressure to his fist, and Apocalypse watched in horror as his hand dissolved into a cloud of green dust. For the first time in his life, Apocalypse was terrified.

He had seen this before, in ancient Egypt; the situation was all too familiar to him. He looked into Takla's green, vengeful eyes and saw a fighting spirit, even beyond the anger that was fueling him, and he knew that even without this surge of strength, he was a force to be reckoned with.

The same had been said before of En Sabah Nur. The warriors of Rama-Tut had attacked his tribe, seeking to end his life, but instead took that of his adoptive father, Baal.

Now he understood. Xavier was Baal. Takla Sharwa was En Sabah Nur. 

Apocalypse staggered back and raised his remaining hand and projected an intense beam of energy that pushed Takla back, but within seconds, he continued his march forward, determined not to let anything stand between him and Apocalypse. His green, glowing skin began to melt around him, but still, he would not stop. 

Takla charged forward and placed his hand on Apocalypse's chest. 

The light died down.

-------------------------------

"Hello?!" Paul McGregor called once more, in vain. He had lost all sense of time in the strange white place, and even if it had only been a few minutes since he had arrived, it felt like it had been months. Somehow, that exaggeration didn't seem so off. His forehead continued to burn. "Anyone?!"

"I am here," A skinny man said. He had a tattoo of an eye on his forehead. McGregor now had a sense of direction, seeing something else to compare to, and he no longer felt dizzy. Now he felt like he was standing, facing this new person.

"Who are you?"

"In order for any of this to make sense, I'm going to have to ask you to save that question for the end."

"Then where am I?"

"You're in-between dimensions. Your mutant power has just appeared... it will take a long time to get used to, but soon you'll spend less time here."

"Less time? Why am I here at all?"

"You come here whenever you want to go someplace else. This way, you can move anywhere in space with a thought. Eventually, you'll move through this dimension so quickly that you won't even notice it."

"So then... how do I get out?"

"If you concentrate hard enough, you'll get out."

"Those are my only real questions... now who are you?"

"I am you."

"What?! No really, who are you?"

"Let me explain. Whenever someone travels through time..."

"Travels through time?!"

"Excuse me, I'm telling the story here," Shifter said. "When someone goes through time, they create an alternate timeline. See, imagine that you go back in time and kill Albert Einstein. Then there are two timelines, the one you came from, and the alternate one you created that when you killed Albert Einstein and changed the course of history. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah... I think." McGregor was a little overwhelmed by all this sudden information, but tried to keep up.

"Alright, now that you have created this second timeline, the first remains unaltered. The second, however, becomes distorted simply by your existence. If you exist at two points in time, you risk changing events that you don't directly, or even indirectly, interact with. For example, after you killed Albert Einstein, maybe you also triggered a change in Winston Churchill's demeanor, or you somehow caused Napoleon to become a painter instead."

"That makes sense, I guess..."

"Most importantly, the fact that you exist at two different points in time alters your own history. If you went back to 1891 to kill Einstein as a boy, a number of things could happen... for example, you could be split into two people and be born the moment you arrived in 1891 and later be born again at the time you had originally been born."

"What are you..."

"That's right, Paul. That's what happened. We used to be one man in our original timeline, but he came back into the past on Apocalypse's orders to change history in his favor. I was born several years before you, at the exact same time that our alternate self arrived, and you were born at the exact same time that our alternate self was born in our original timeline."

"So you mean... in this other timeline... I work for Apocalypse?" Somehow, this was a more pressing issue to McGregor. Trask had made him loyal to the Pure Blood movement, and to find out that in an alternate world he was working for the enemy came as a bit of a shock to him.

"Sort of. You see, because we existed at two points in time, our very beings were altered. I manifested my powers right at birth... this eye you see on my forehead? The original didn't get that until he was sixteen. How old are you?"

"Sixteen..."

"You should be getting a third eye soon, then. I was born with the knowledge that he had at the time of his arrival, too. It would be years before I could even interpret its meaning, but I knew everything that he did. As for you, you're a rough idea of what he was originally like, but your personality isn't exactly like his. Similar, but somehow off."

"But if we're the same, why don't we look the same?"

"You were born a human. I was born a mutant. Differences in lifestyles can lead to differences in adult appearance. I was malnourished for most of my life... and I guess that's affected the way I look now. You know I'm not as old as I look, I'm only about fifteen years older than you."

"This is all so..." McGregor couldn't find the words. "But you're with Apocalypse, how do I know you're not lying?"

"You don't. He had to trust me, too."

"What?"

"Apocalypse sent our original self back with specific knowledge, specific plans. I knew that from birth, and when Apocalypse was freed, I sought him and tried to tell him everything his original self had told our original self to tell him. It was difficult, but eventually it clicked in his head."

"So I'm just going to have to risk trusting you."

"Yes, Paul."

"Is your name Paul, too?"

"No. I was never given a formal name. Our original self was codenamed Shifter, and that is the name I go by. I'm sure you're tired of hearing about all this and you're ready to get out of here. The first shift is always the hardest, but I'll make it easier for you." Shifter held out his hand. McGregor wasn't sure if he should take it or not, or if he wanted to take it or not. He seemed like a nice enough guy, with all the time-travel strangeness aside... but he was a mutant. Mutants were not to be trusted.

But then, McGregor himself was now a mutant. He had to accept it. Trask's blood test had indicated it, and his transportation to this dimension had confirmed it.

McGregor took Shifter's hand, and they disappeared.

-------------------------------

"How unfortunate," Mastermind said to himself. "They're hardly using my illusion. I'll try something new, then."

With a twitch of her finger, Wanda launched Evan's spikes right back at him. Evan rolled to avoid them as Forge fired a red laser weapon from his right hand, but she gathered the blasts into a cloud of energy and dispersed it. An Asian mutant kicked him in the chest and thin flipped backwards into a fighting stance. She evaded Forge's blasts and ran at him with what appeared to be an energy knife, but Forge landed a direct hit and knocked her back into another group of mutants. Another mutant stepped forward and screamed. Everyone, including Wanda and the other mutant soldiers, covered their ears. Evan fired a spike right into his throat, and the excruciating sound stopped. Freddy would have attacked, but he needed a pause to catch his breathe and regain a little energy, so he sat between the arm and torso of a fallen Sentinel, with Rogue and an unconscious Havok next to them.

"So they said I just have to touch him, like Lance, right?"

"Simple enough." Rogue slipped off her glove, but hesitated. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know if I can do this..."

"You'll be helping him, Rogue. He can't feel anything right now, it won't hurt him."

"I know, but..."

"This is Famine. He's not gonna be Alex again until you absorb his power." Rogue nodded, but slipped her glove back on. "Rogue, come on, you can-" She surprised Freddy by holding Havok's head and kissing the unconscious mutant. The transfer of energy took a few moments, and then, Rogue broke the kiss. 

"It's done, then. Just have to wait until he wakes up."

"I'm not an expert on this... but aren't you technically his stepsister?"

"Aw, who cares? World's coming to an end." Freddy nodded, and he still thought it was a little weird, but he had cousins who had done worse, so he decided it wasn't so bad. After all, they weren't blood relatives, nor had they been raised as siblings. "Don't tell Scott and Toad about this. Especially Scott."

"Your secret is safe with me," Freddy replied with a casual smile.

An XT Sentinel arrived among the group and activated its anti-mutant field. Wanda concentrated now on destroying it before she could continue fighting the X-Men. Realizing that their powers were also nullified, she instead ran from the XT Sentinel as it turned its attention towards the larger, and according to its programming, more important group of mutants.

"Rogue, quick! Go after Wanda!" Freddy yelled. Rogue nodded and ran after her as Freddy stood back up, prepare for another round of fighting. 

Lance found that his seismic powers had no affect, so he ran from the XT Sentinel in order to leave the ant-mutant field, but he wasn't fast enough. Several bullets hit his leg and he fell onto the sand.

"Lance!" Kate cried out. She ran to his side, phasing through the XT Sentinels' gunfire.

"Kate, no!" Forge yelled. "Get away from that Sentinel!" The fire stopped as Kate ran. Instead, the XT Sentinel dropped a small orb between Kate and Lance. She ignored it and ran past it as it opened up and poured out a thick, green gas. 

"Kate, get away! The gas-" A bright beam shot the XT Sentinel's shoulder and separated its mechanical arm from its socket. The robot looked towards the source of the beam: Rogue. She had ignored Wanda and stopped to help Kate and Lance, using the power she had absorbed from Alex. Unknown to her, the XT Sentinel had called for backup. Two more approached behind her, but another beam appeared that destroyed the entire chest section of the first Sentinel.

"Alex?"

"Right here, Marie," Alex said. He had awakened, now free of Apocalypse's control, just as five more Sentinels appeared. They locked eyes for a brief moment, exchanged reassuring smiles and turned their attention to the invading Sentinels.

Mastermind grinned at the brilliance of his plan. The X-Men had no idea that most of the Sentinels they were fighting weren't real, just products of Mastermind's imagination. He heard a thud behind him and turned to see his children, Jean Grey and Todd Darkholme.

"I hope my abuse hasn't left the two of you without a sense of humor." Mastermind motioned down towards the battle. "You see all those Sentinels? Guess how many are real." Jean looked down, but only saw a few, and the X-Men were swatting at thin air.

"There are six Sentinels left," Jean said. Mastermind paused.

"So you can see through it. I knew one of you would be good for something." Mastermind turned his attention away from the battle, but kept the illusion up, then held out his right hand. "Todd, how many fingers am I holding up?"

"Five... argh... seven? Two! Nine?!" Mastermind's hand changed constantly, holding up only a certain amount of fingers sometimes, and others, adding more fingers than a human hand actually had. A sharp-toothed mouth appeared at the palm of his hand and roared at Toad, and then Mastermind's entire arm became the neck and head of a growling dragon. His head became a set of wings, and his other arm became a long tail with thick spikes at the end. "What?! What's going on?!"

"Toad, whatever you're seeing, it's just a trick! Snap out of it!" Toad jumped to avoid the dragon's flaw, then ducked the swing of his tail. "Toad, you idiot! It's a trick!"

"What?! A dragon AND a demon?!" In Toad's vision, Jean had become a horned, laughing red demon, calling to him in tongues with a menacing voice. "Jean! Jean, where are you?! Everything's crazy here! I don't know what's going on?!" Todd jumped over the demon's mace and rolled aside to evade the dragon's fiery breath. 

"He can't hear you, Jean," Mastermind grinned. "Now what? Do you think you can stop me alone?" Jean pressed her fingers to the sides of her head and closed her eyes. "What are you doing?"

'Toad! Can you... me?'

"What?! Can I what?"

'Hear... can...'

"Can I hear you?" Todd yelled, still hopping around. "Yeah, sort of... you're fading in and out, where are you?"

'Standing... demon... illus...' Jean paused for a moment. With her telepathic powers so underdeveloped, it was difficult for her. 'I can see him, Toad. He's the dragon, I'm the demon.'

"What do you think you're doing?" Mastermind yelled. "Are you trying to help him? Your powers aren't quite as strong as mine, Jean! He can't hear you!"

"What do I do?!" Toad cried out. "I can't tell who to believe here!"

'Toad, jump!' Toad did as Jean told him. 'Use your tongue, straight forward!' Toad threw out his amphibian tongue at his father's face, but something interfered. Toad fell to the ground, grabbing his mouth in pain and feeling his blood flowing out of it. Jean looked down at the floor and watched his severed tongue twitching. She kept herself from screaming and looked up. Mastermind's old pal Wolverine had climbed up to the tower.

"Mah thung!" Toad cried. A picture of blood and green slime spilled from his mouth, combining into a gray sludge that dripped onto the stone floor. Quickly, Jean contacted him again.

'Wolverine showed up, Toad... he used his claws...' Jean shook her head. 'Toad, we can't give up. Wolverine or not, we have to get Mastermind.'

"Aight... ack..." Toad managed to stand up, trying to ignore the pain in his mouth. The dragon and the demon disappeared, and now Toad saw nothing at all, only a dark emptiness. Had he gone blind? No, it had to have been another trick.

'Here he comes, jump!' Toad jumped and avoided Wolverine's running slash. 'Quick, stomp!' Toad stomped down and felt himself hit something. 'You got him down, now jump forward and kick!' Toad did as told and felt his foot connect with something. The darkness faded, and the real world appeared to him again.

"Son, no!" Mastermind yelled. Toad had knocked him off the top of the stone tower, where a gruesome death awaited him below. Thanks to the help of his sister, Toad had killed his own father.

Except Toad had also flown off the side of the tower.

"Er... aagh! Jheann!" Jean rushed over and caught Toad with her telekinesis, and held him in the air for a moment before pulling him back up. When he was safely back on the tower, she hugged her younger brother.

"Todd, we did it! It's all over now!"

"Ughnh... Jheann!" She had forgotten entirely about Wolverine, who dashed forward and slammed his claws into Toad's back. With his other hand, he pushed him forward and off of his claws.

"Toad, no!" Jean yelled as her wounded brother fell off the tower, to the dark sand below, where his dead father waited. She reached down for him, but Wolverine punched her in the stomach and broke her concentration. "You..."

"Me! He just killed my buddy, it's only fair. As for you, I like you. I think I'm gonna keep you around," he said with an evil grin. "But don't do anything just yet! Look down there! See that big guy? Freddy, right?"

"Freddy?! What happened to Freddy?!" She looked out, and saw that he was alright. Now that the fake Sentinels had disappeared, the X-Men had concentrated on Wanda, but Storm had come to her aid, and Nightcrawler was teleporting around the battlefield, mauling anyone he could find before teleporting again and finding another victim. 

The XT Sentinel deployed a whipcord at a large mutant with red face-paint and strangely enough, a red eagle painted onto his chest armor. The mutant grabbed the cord and pulled with his all his strength, but his powers became nullified and his strength became that of a normal human being. Of course, he was still immensely strong, and he still had the axe he had been given. The mutant swung, but the cord was made of metal twine. 

Forge was busy firing his beam weapons at the XT Sentinel to notice the large mutant behind him, who pulled the whipcord with him as he ran to Forge's other side and wrapped the cord around his neck. Forge converted one of his hands into a cutting tool to free himself, but he couldn't cut it without first cutting himself. With his other hand, he tried to pull the cord away, but the mutant had cleverly wrapped it around the XT Sentinel's leg, and at the moment, the giant robot was busy firing missiles at a crowd of mutants behind it. It walked forward, dragging the choking Forge behind him. The large mutant smiled at his handiwork before the XT Sentinel gunned him down. 

"Gragh... Freddy!" Forge gasped. Freddy, unfortunately, was out of earshot, but Forge's flailing caught his attention. He arrived too late, and Forge had already suffocated. 

Rogue and Alex continued firing at the XT Sentinel, and at Wanda, but with Storm's help, they found themselves on the losing side. Lance had been wounded and Kate had been knocked out by the XT Sentinel's gas. Colossus and Freddy were making progress keeping other mutant soldiers away from the others, but Evan was hesitant to battle.

"Evan, get in here!" Freddy yelled. "You had your chance to back out, now get over here and help us out!"

"But-"

"But nothing! You've picked the wrong time to get emotional, kid!" Freddy pounded a mutant soldier into the ground.

"Fine!" Evan jumped up, and with his good arm, launched as many bone-spikes as he could at Wanda. She deflected them with ease, as he knew she would. Storm's wind threw Evan aside, but Rogue and Alex stood their ground and continued their assault on Wanda. Taking notice of this, Storm brought a bolt of lightning down from the sky, but it missed, and hit a busted Sentinel. Storm dropped to the ground, and didn't get back up.

"What? Evan..." Freddy saw what had killed her... a bone spike driven through her heart.

"I had to..." Evan himself couldn't believe it himself. Without saying another word, Evan pointed his palm at his own chest and drove a spike into his own heart. Freddy observed a brief moment of silence before continuing the battle. 

Wanda was alone in her fight, but she was stronger than her enemies. Rogue was beginning to weaken as the power absorbed from Alex began to fade, and Colossus and Freddy wouldn't be able to lay a finger on her, so there was no point in paying attention to them. She decided that she had wasted enough time. She raised her hands to-

Thunder struck behind Wanda. She turned around to see Nightcrawler viciously mauling Freddy, who had been trying to sneak up on her. Freddy had regained some of his strength since Nightcrawler's last attack, but the beast wanted to make sure that he finished what he started. He clasped his jaws around Freddy's head and snapped his neck.

Jean had seen it. The world around her seemed to stop. Wolverine's laughter was distant to her, as was the thunderous sound of Nightcrawler teleporting away. She felt her strength leave her, as if air was rushing out of every pore in her body. The ground beneath her felt uneven, and then she felt no ground at all. 

"The tower's coming down!" A human soldier yelled. Humans and mutants rushed to get out of the way of the crumbling tower, but few managed. Wanda backed away, and Sunspot dashed to recover Lance and Kate, but he didn't make it in time. It was just as well that Kate had just woken up. She looked up at the crumbling tower and then turned to Lance.

"Bye," she said, sadly and innocently. 

Seeing no other option, Sunspot ran, but he gone in too close and despite his strength, he was not invincible. Two of the remaining Sentinels were crushed by the falling stones, as well as every mutant guard positioned inside the tower. Once the stones had settled into place among the stand, Wolverine climbed out, severely beaten, but alive. Having been at the top of the tower, his injuries were minimal compared to those at the bottom. He stopped to catch his breath as his wounds healed. Within moments, he was as good as new again.

When the dust had settled and the fighting resumed, Nightcrawler appeared once more near the group, this time setting his sights on Colossus. The steel-skinned mutant would not have it. When he tried to maul him, Colossus pounded his fist into the beast's shoulder, then punched him right in the face. Nightcrawler cried out, but a final blow to the top of the head silenced him. 

Rogue saw this, but thought little of it. She had already accepted that the creature was no longer her brother, and that soon she would be gone as well.

"This is not looking good," Trask said to Matthews. "All of our men are in full retreat and the only ones doing any damage are those kids... there's no sense staying here. I'm ordering a full retreat."

"We won't get another chance, General."

"I don't care!" Trask yelled. "The destruction of mutantkind isn't worth sacrificing the entire human race over! We'll at least live to fight another day. This is General Trask. All units, retreat!"

"Where to?!" A commander asked via radio. It wasn't until then that Trask saw the utter stupidity of his plan. He had been so confident in their victory that he hadn't thought about a retreat. They had arrived on Sentinels, but most of them had already been destroyed. A retreat into the desert would make them easier targets to be hunted down. That was it. Trask couldn't find any other alternative. The humans had lost, and it was all his fault. 

Suddenly, the mutant army stopped. All of them. Trask saw the metal-winged mutant standing in front of them, waving a torch in a circular pattern. 

"What? Mesmero!" Apocalypse commanded. Mesmero stepped forward and closed his eyes. He shuttered, then looked at his master. "What happened?" 

"I... cannot reach him. He is in complete control of his mind." Apocalypse glared at him and Mesmero shrunk back in fear.

"Two of my Horsemen have left me. The leader has betrayed me." Apocalypse waved his hand slightly, and Mesmero levitated in the air in front of him, face-to-face. "You have failed me, Mesmero."

"What are you doing?!" Wolverine yelled. He looked around him. Famine had been fighting alongside Rogue. War lay dead next to her nephew. Pestilence awaited Death's instructions. Death's commander stood over the body of Freddy Dukes, as War's commander lay dead with shards of glass fused to her skin. He himself had abandoned Pestilence to fight the battle the way he wanted to. It all made sense to him. "Traitor!"

Wolverine rushed at Archangel with his claws drawn, screaming at the top of his lungs. With one swipe of his metal wing, Archangel cut him down. Wolverine's body dropped to the sand, twitching, as his head fell several feet from it, still growling angrily. Separated from his vocal cords, Wolverine's mouth made no sound, except a sick gurgling noise that accompanied the blood and sand that crept up his severed throat and spilled from his mouth. Archangel stretched his wing, then folded it back behind him.

"This battle has continued long enough," he said. Caliban and Callisto stood behind him. "We have spent long enough fighting each other. It's time we realized how the real enemy is." Behind him, Trask stepped out of the command center, with Colonel Matthews, Arcade and a few others behind him. "General Trask," Archangel regarded him.

"Are you suggesting we join forces, mutant?"

"Exactly. Apocalypse will have enslaved us and exterminated you. If you won't let go of your bigotry, at least realize that we have a greater common enemy." Colossus pushed through the crowd, dragging a wounded mutant with a broken leg through the sand by his arm. It was Berzerker. 

"Where... what?" As Berzerker looked around. 

"Ray Crisp," Trask said, "Codename Berzerker. This one's caused quite a bit of damage in the past."

"Mesmero has released his hold on them, for whatever reason," Archangel explained. Around them, several mutants looked around, their environment completely new to them.

"Death... General Trask..." Berzerker tried to crawl away with his good leg, but Colossus's grip was too tight. "No, please!"

"Don't worry. I'm not your enemy."

"Nor am I," Trask announced. He nodded to Archangel, who realized that Trask had been smart enough to accept Apocalypse as the greater enemy. 

"There's only one thing left now. We'll have to go in after the child." With a flash of white light, Shifter appeared between them. "Shifter... status?"

"I've brought back the second one... the older boy. You can begin." Archangel nodded. "And my reward?"

"You'll get your reward when we're finished here."

"I just hope it will be worthwhile, because I'm taking a deadly risk. If he finds-"

"You're safe. We'll worry about ourselves." Shifter grunted and disappeared. "Now then-"

"Traitor!" Wanda yelled. Somehow, she was still under Apocalypse's control. Wanda's first instinct was to run to the pyramid, to tell her master. She was sure that he already knew, but it was better to be safe.

"Ms. Darkholme?" Archangel politely addressed Rogue.

"On it!" Rogue ran after Wanda and tackled her. Before Wanda could fire a hex bolt, Rogue placed her hands on the sides of Wanda's face. The transfer of energy was almost too much for Rogue, but she held on. It was taking longer than it had with Lance or Alex. Finally, it was done, and Rogue collapsed onto the sand, out of breath and energy.

"Who's left to fight?" Archangel asked. Colossus stood next to him and nodded. Alex was ready to fight, and a few minutes later, Rogue as well. Wanda would be unconscious for a while. Callisto and Caliban, though not very good at fighting, could always be counted on. Half of the mutant army was wounded, the other half confused after leaving Mesmero's trance. "We're not much, but we'll manage. Everyone to the base."

"All units, advance!" Trask ordered.

"No, General. Get your men out of here. Enough human lives have been lost."

"Agreed, but we have no escape plan."

"There are three planes just outside the base perimeter," Callisto explained. "You can probably fit your remaining forces in the cargo holds." Trask felt insulted by her use of the term 'remaining forces.' Over half of his men had been killed.

"I don't trust you. How do I know this isn't some mutant trap?"

"Suit yourself," Archangel said, "But there's no other means of escape. If you won't accept our help, get as far from the base as you can."

"We'll do that. You just worry about taking Apocalypse down, mutant. All units, retreat into the desert." Callisto raised her fists, ready to go after him, but Caliban stopped her, simply shaking his head.

"We'll have to move quickly if Apocalypse has the second Shifter."

-------------------------------

...Moments later, Apocalypse was helped out of the pool by his weaker servants. The battle with Xavier's pupil years prior had been the hardest battle of Apocalypse's life... Takla had been the only difficult adversary he had ever faced.

Indeed. Takla Sharwa was a worthy adversary.

Takla Sharwa still walked the Earth, searching endlessly for Apocalypse so that he could finish the battle he had begun when his teacher was killed. Apocalypse remained one of the strongest mutants on the planet, but he had been weakened considerably, and he knew that were was no way that he could ever beat Xavier's pupil. He had wasted so much energy that he was shriveled and weak. He felt as he did when he first emerged from his tomb, only he knew that there was no source of energy waiting for him. He took a deep, strained breathe and accepted that he would never defeat Takla Sharwa.

It was ironic that Takla had abandoned the principles of Professor Xavier in his mad quest to avenge him. Takla's anger had all but consumed him, and nothing stood in his way. With every report of Takla's activity, Apocalypse was reminded more of himself, that young warrior so many ages ago who destroyed everything in his path in his quest for vengeance. The similarity was uncanny; Takla had even abandoned his given name and took a new name, and Apocalypse knew that when Takla finally found him, he would take his place and conquer the world, ruling those beneath him under his new name. 

If Takla Sharwa was En Sabah Nur, then Apocalypse had become Rama-Tut. Now he hid deep underground like a coward, beneath the ruins of an Incan city, where he was forced to take periodic baths in a pool of life-sustaining blue fluid, water infused with nutrients. By the time he was finished with the bath, he had absorbed all of the nutrients in the fluid, leaving only leftover waste particles that effectively turned the water into a black poison. As his servants dried him off, he called one of his higher ranking servants. A tall, well-built man with an eye tattooed onto his forehead came forward. This was the mutant called Shifter, capable of moving between any two points across the world, and once advanced, he gained the ability to move not only through space, but through time as well.

Apocalypse had long planned to send Shifter on a special mission, but he was well aware of the consequences of affecting time and altering history. The smallest action could damage the entire timeline, so Shifter would have to be extremely careful if he was to change the past to Apocalypse's benefit. While he contemplated sending him on this mission, he drew up a sort of list of everything he wanted his past self to know. Shifter had to memorize everything he was told, and now he knew more about Apocalypse than any man, save Apocalypse himself. 

"The time has come, Shifter. There is no sense waiting for the boy to finish me. You know what you must do."

"I will be cautious, master."

"You will. You will find the boy as well."

"Yes, I know where to find him. The boy will be in your hands, master. I will not fail you." Shifter closed his eyes and in a flash of light, disappeared. Apocalypse closed his eyes. He opened them, and the world he knew had disappeared.

-------------------------------

"You have done well," Apocalypse told Shifter as they entered the lab beneath the pyramid. Scott, Pietro, and Pyro hid behind some equipment on the far side of the room. In the center of the room, McGregor was held in an advancer, like the one Scott had been in.

"Shifter, you cheating little bastard!" McGregor yelled as he pounded his fists against the glass tube. "I trusted you, Shifter! I trusted you!"

"Calm down, Paul, it's for the better. Few mutants manipulate as much energy as we do. If not for my inherited knowledge, I would be in there instead." This information obviously didn't help the furious McGregor. Even if he knew how to trigger his powers, the nullification device inside the advancer prevented him from doing so. Beast entered the lab, carrying baby Kevin with one of his feet and propelling himself forward with his large gorilla arms. He jumped up to an overhead pipe and made his way over to the advancer. Still holding himself up with one hand, he opened a trap door near the bottom of the advancer and gently deposited the baby at McGregor's feet.

"It's ready," Beast informed his master, then moved to the controls. "This will only take a moment."

"Now!" Scott yelled. A fiery bat flew out from behind the crates and onto the control panel. Scott fired a quick beam at Beast to keep him away from it and Pietro ran to the advancer, only to be tripped by an extended staff.

"Well what do you know, I beat you boys here," Gambit gloated. "We have your approval?" Apocalypse nodded. "It's about time I get to have some fun!"

"I concur," Beast said. "Do you mind if I take the Summers boy?"

"No no, mon ami, be my guest." Beast lunged at Scott with a powerful swing of his ape-like arm and threw him against the wall before rearing back and pounding his chest. The grin on his face showed that his gesture was more out of humor than out of actual rage. As Pietro stood back up, Gambit threw a set of charged metal pins, which he easily dodged. It was a trap, of course; Gambit tripped him with his staff yet again.

"Trip me once, shame on you... trip me twice..."

"Shame on YOU!" Gambit yelled as he swept his staff under his feet and tripped him yet again. Pyro aimed his flamethrower right at Gambit, but he kicked it away and delivered a fast punch to the face, followed by a roundhouse kick. As Gambit took a moment to regain his footing, Pyro swept his feet and knocked him over.

"Why are you doing this?" Pyro asked. "You think Apocalypse cares about you?"

"No, but I have a better chance if I'm on his side." Gambit twirled his staff and knocked Pyro in the face. Behind him, Pietro ran by and smacked the back of his head. 

"Will you two idiots stop ganging up on Gambit and help me out over here?!" Scott yelled as Beast lifted him over his head and threw him down. Pietro dashed by and caught him in time, then ran back to Gambit. Beast looked behind him and faced a fiery lion, courtesy of Pyro.

"...Oh my." The lion chased Beast around the lab, and while Pyro kept himself busy keeping the lion together, Scott fired a beam at Gambit's shoulder. 

"That's it. Now you boys have made me mad." Gambit tossed his staff aside and reached into his coat with both hands. In each hand he held a deck of cards and grinned. "Now we play by my rules." He laid one hand flat with the deck stacked on his palm, and keeping the other deck between his fingers, threw out charged cards with his thumb. Pietro ran as the cards hit the wall behind him and exploded, and Scott tried his best to fire them out of the air. With his concentration broken, Pyro ignored Beast and created a fire shield. Beast, meanwhile, jumped to the overhead pipes and wisely stayed there to avoid Gambit's cards. Scott made the mistake of firing at a card too close to him and he was thrown against the wall once again as it exploded a few feet from him. Just the same, the cards that hit Pyro's flame shield exploded and sent him flying back as well. Pietro was fast enough to avoid the remaining cards, which hit walls, consoles and equipment, but completely missed Pietro.

Beast jumped down and seized the opportunity to attack Pyro and jumped down at him. His timing was poor, as Pyro had already aimed his flamethrower upwards and grabbed Beast with a full blast. Pyro rolled out of the way of the burning mutant, who rolled around madly, and upon realizing that his rolling wasn't helping, he ran out of the lab. Scott, Pietro and Pyro turned their attention to Gambit, and Apocalypse wasn't about to help him out. Gambit was alone against the three. 

"Guess I gotta change those rules. Here goes nothing." Gambit charged the remaining deck... the entire deck at once. He threw the deck in the air and the room was filled with charged, floating cards. Again, Pietro ran around fast enough to avoid them. Scott had learned from his mistake and hid behind the same crates from earlier. Pyro sent out a fire-eagle to set off the cards farthest from him while he hid next to Scott. Apocalypse stood in the exact same spot with his arms crossed, not even looking at the cards that were disappearing when they got close to him. 

"I'm tired of this," Scott muttered. He stood up and fired a beam straight at Gambit's chest, knocking him back right into three of his cards, and the explosion knocked him forward and onto his face. Scott waited a few minutes to see if he got up, and when he saw that he didn't, he motioned for Pyro to come out.

"I wish you'd have let me do that," Pyro grumbled. "Just one of 'em left."

"We can take him," Scott assured them. "The console's fried, he can't do anything." 

"Insects." Apocalypse blinked, then waved his hands. Scott and Pyro were thrown aside and Pietro, who had just begun to run towards them, was stopped and thrown with them. He stepped forward towards the advancer, where a frightened McGregor held baby Kevin, and held his hand out. McGregor and Kevin began to glow a bright white, and when Apocalypse closed his hand into a fist, the glass shattered. Kevin was gently pulled from McGregor's arms and they both fell limp, hovering in midair. 

"Please forgive me, Paul," Shifter said from Apocalypse's side. "But you will aid our master in his quest. This is a sacrifice any of us would gladly make."

"Agreed," Apocalypse said. McGregor was dropped and thrown aside, and Shifter was drawn to the spot where McGregor had been floating. 

"What?! Master, I-"

"The boy is not strong enough to generate the energy needed. You will have to do." Apocalypse did not tell Shifter, but the other reason for his change of plans was the fact that he knew McGregor would grow up to become a powerful ally. It was best to have a fresh start instead of working with a weak, older version. Apocalypse brought up his other hand and tightened his grip. Kevin had turned a pale green color, and soon he was glowing green and bright. Scott looked on from the floor several feet away, and had to shield his eyes, even with his ruby-quartz lenses. The green light became so intense that he couldn't even look. 

Then the light faded. Kevin was glowing a mild green color, and the wilted body of Shifter dropped to the ground. All of Shifter's energy had been drained, even the last energy that sustained his very life, and given to Kevin. Apocalypse held out his hand and took Kevin in his arm, then pointed his free arm upwards. The lab began to tremble. 

"We've got to get out of here!" Scott yelled to the others. Though lacking in strength, they all got up as quickly as they could and ran out of the lab. McGregor trailed behind them, but Scott didn't care about him. Hell, he didn't even know him. 

"This way!" Pietro called. They found an opening that led to an exit out of a tower near the pyramid. They had no time to observe the carnage outside, but they found the others and quickly joined them. As Scott and Pietro ran to rejoin them, Pyro had to stop to observe the body at the base of the pyramid. It was Mesmero, lying dead with every joint in his body twisted the wrong way. Pyro shook his head, then ran to the others. Archangel, Callisto, Caliban, Alex, Rogue, Colossus and Wanda watched the trembling pyramid before noticing them.

"You're alright!" Rogue said. "Where's Kevin?"

"Apocalypse has him... he did something, something's going on."

"Scott!" Wanda yelled. Before Scott could even register the word, she ran up to him and gave him the hug of his life. Instinctively, he hugged back, before realizing what he was doing and almost pushing her off. "Scott, what's wrong?"

"N...nothing, I..." Scott was still unsure about his feelings. It was fortunate that she had chosen a bad time to ask him, since he could forget about the question now that they all had Apocalypse to worry about. "Just stay sharp, he's up to something."

"He's... advanced the boy further," Magneto said. He floated out of the same exit that Scott and the others had taken, then dropped to the sand. He was still weak, but somehow he had managed to free himself while Apocalypse was busy in the lab. Wanda rushed to her father and held his head up.

"Dadd... fath... Magneto," Wanda said, remembering formality, "What have they done to you?"

"Nothing compared to what Apocalypse is going to do to the rest of you."

"Shouldn't you be dead by now?" Pietro said. 

"Why don't you show a little respect?!" Wanda yelled. "You know, it's been a while since I've even seen you, and now that we're back together as a family, you have to start this little grudge again!"

"All of you, shut up!" Scott yelled. "Settle this later, we've got other stuff to worry about!" 

"Yeah, like that pyramid," Alex said.

"Did I say you could talk?!"

"What happened to 'we've got other stuff to worry about'?"

"Don't be a smartass Alex! If we weren't here, I'd-"

"Enough!" Archangel yelled. "We're all going to have to work together. If we're busy fighting each other, then we're as good as dead."

"Yeah, easy for you to say!" Scott yelled. "You want me to work with him?! I can't trust him! I don't see how any of you fucking idiots can trust this guy!"

"Stop your whining and put it aside!"

"He killed them!" Scott yelled. "If it wasn't for him our parents would still be alive! Our real parents! If this shithead hadn't been playing around on the plane, they'd still be alive!"

"Scott, it was an accident!"

"Enough, both of you!" Archangel yelled once more. "Put it aside or I'll kill you both myself." The pyramid's trembling intensified. "He'll be ready soon. Scott, what did you find inside?"

"We went to the lab, but we were ambushed. We took care of Beast and Gambit, and there was some kid there."

"Some kid...?"

"Yeah, and this skinny little fucker. He's dead, though."

"Dead? Caliban, find Shifter." Caliban nodded and closed his eyes. "Well?"

"I cannot sense him. He must be dead."

"But who was the boy? Sabretooth reported that he had been killed... see if you can sense him, Caliban."

"...Yes... he is... no... he has disappeared. He has left our dimension." Archangel felt the ground tremble. He looked up and the pyramid began to crumble from the center outward. 

"Everyone, move back!" Archangel took Caliban and Callisto by their arms and flew away from the scene. Colossus took the wounded Magneto and ran ahead, while the others ran under their own power. They had all made it clear in time, and Apocalypse stood on the top of an unmetal platform that had been at the core of the pyramid, suspended several stories up with an unmetal column. He held the glowing green Kevin up, showing the boy to his enemies.

In another time, Takla Sharwa had been Apocalypse's most worthy enemy. He had once believed himself to be the only advanced mutant, but now he knew that he was only the first. Takla was born with greater potential than En Sabah Nur himself, and one day, Takla would meet another with even greater power. Apocalypse knew that keeping the child was a great risk, but he believed that with time, the boy would be loyal to him. Mastermind had already warped his mind, and now, the boy had absorbed the energy of Shifter. However, the boy was not finished. 

"What? I..." Rogue felt herself drawn towards Apocalypse. "Someone... I... I can't control it..."

"Rogue!" Alex yelled. He grabbed her and tried to pull her back, but he was being pulled in after her. 

"The sparks!" Archangel yelled to them. "He's drawing you back in!"

"What's going on?!" Scott asked.

"She's absorbed the sparks of three Horsemen... she has stored massive amounts of energy within her, from Mesmero, the Horsemen, and Apocalypse himself. The boy is attracting the greatest power source to him... Alex, let go!"

"I won't!"

"Alex, let go! You can't help her now!"

"I can't!" Alex freed one arm and fired a wide blast at Apocalypse and the boy, but Kevin absorbed it. The baby had no emotion on his face. In fact, it appeared that he was almost dead. Somehow, the blast only intensified the pull. Rogue and Alex were now both being drawn, and there was nothing they could do. In a flash of green light, they were gone.

"NO!" Scott yelled. He had just lost his remaining siblings, but his screams were drowned out by Apocalypse's commanding voice.

"Observe, my heir!" He bellowed. Apocalypse had decided that Takla Sharwa was indeed a worthy enemy, and so he decided to honor his foe by giving his son the name his future self had taken. "The Son of Apocalypse! You will bow to him as you bow to me! He will be known to you as Proteus!"

What? Proteus?! I know, I know, Proteus isn't named Takla Sharwa in-continuity, but I'm taking some creative license. That's what Evolution's all about, taking original ideas and screwing with them so that the old fans whine and bitch, but the new fans are cool with it. But hey, I at least got part of his name right (in-continuity, Proteus is Kevin MacTaggart... how many of you guessed that he would be Proteus when you read that Mystique had named him Kevin?). Most of the loose ends have been tied up by now: you know what Kevin's purpose is, you know about the Shifters, and you now know why Scott held a grudge with Alex... which, unfortunately, will never be settled now. You already knew that Archangel was a traitor, but now you know that Colossus and Sunspot were his co-conspirators. Those of you keeping score, he's a tally of who's still alive:

Good Guys: Scott, Wanda, Pyro, Pietro, Caliban, Callisto, Colossus, Archangel, Magneto... wow, I didn't kill off as many as I thought I had. Well, Caliban, Callisto, and Magneto can't do much...

Bad Guys: Apocalypse, Proteus

????: Cannonball, Wolfsbane, Tabitha.

Looks a little uneven. We'll settle this. Next chapter: the final battle! It's almost over!


	15. The Egyptian Dawn

Okay. It's been a long ride (much longer than it should have been), but this is the end, and whether you liked the story or not, thanks for sticking around to see how it ends, and thanks for all the reviews, positive and negative. Just so you know (yes, you), Takla Sharwa is pronounced basically the same way it's spelled. The world needs more phonetic names. Heh, I thought you people would hate me at the end of the last chapter... wait til you finish this one. Oh, and excuse the grammar.

Chapter Twelve - The Egyptian Dawn

The great pyramid that had been Apocalypse's base had crumbled under the strength of its master. Now Apocalypse stood on a platform raised high above the rubble and made entirely of unmetal, a strange material that Apocalypse had created that lacked magnetic properties. Apocalypse had used the life energy of his time-traveling minion, Shifter, to power the advanced mutant child he took as his own and named Proteus. Prior to this, Rogue Darkholme who had herself absorbed the sparks of Alex Summers, Lance Alvers and Wanda Lehnsherr. In essence, a spark was a mental hold placed by Mesmero, but ultimately powered by Apocalypse himself. The spark brought its host increased power and when advanced by Beast's science, they became immensely powerful. With three of this sparks in her, Rogue held such great energy that she was pulled in by Proteus, along with Alex, who had tried to save her but was absorbed as well.

Scott Darkholme had lost everything to Apocalypse. His younger brother Kurt had been transformed into a vicious monster. His mother had been violently killed by the monster that her son had become. His youngest brother Todd plummeted to his death from the top of one of the twelve towers that stood alongside the pyramid, and now his sister and biological brother had been killed by Apocalypse's son.

Enraged by Apocalypse's actions, Scott threw off his ruby-quartz shutter-eye glasses and let the red energy beams flow from his eyes. Apocalypse nodded, and the floating baby Proteus absorbed the intense energy being thrown at him.

"You fool!" Archangel yelled. "Close your eyes, now!"

"Fuck you, he's gonna pay!" 

"Scott, close your eyes!" Wanda repeated. With no other option, Wanda waved her hands and forced his eyes shut. She slipped his glasses back onto his face. Strangely enough, Scott didn't protest. He collapsed to the ground, muttering to himself in frustration and slamming his fist into the sand, knowing that they were right.

"All you would be doing is feeding him energy," Archangel explained. "The boy is still weak considering his potential, and Apocalypse is going to wait until he's gathered enough energy."

"Where is he getting it from?" Wanda asked.

"Apocalypse. If he only gives him a small amount at a time, then Apocalypse can keep regenerating it. We'll have to go about this carefully." 

"Uh... guys?" Pietro called to them. "We've got a problem..." An XT Sentinel stood behind them, analyzing the field and formulating an attack strategy. A wounded mutant soldier beneath him tried to crawl away, but the XT Sentinel stomped him before turning its attention back to his field analysis.

"It seems we have missed one," Colossus said. The XT Sentinel had been taken down by Wanda, as Pestilence, but she had only shut it down. When she did so, she had scrambled part of its internal receiver, and any commands issued would be ignored. It had rebooted on its default setting and knew only to find mutants and destroy them. 

Magneto, supported by Colossus, held his hand out to destroy the XT Sentinel, but it didn't work. Once it had identified a mutant, the XT system would generate the anti-mutant field. Magneto quickly realized that his powers had no effect.

"It's an upgraded version," Callisto explained to him. "It generates an energy field that cancels out mutant powers."

"I've... encountered one of these before..." Magneto remembered that day, years ago, when he had been on a trip with his family. The first wave of Sentinels had been unleashed on the crowd. Pietro and Wanda had escaped the assault in time, but Magneto and his wife Magda remained.

"Erik, what is that?" Magda said to him. Erik Lehnsherr raised his hands and threw two Sentinels into each other. The lead Sentinel scanned the area, and found several mutants among the crowd. The crowd had gathered in a grassy meadow to watch a fireworks display that came at the end of the summer in that region, and it seemed someone in the area had a problem in with mutants. The fireworks had stopped, replaced by the weaponfire of the Sentinels.

"Magda, get out of here!" Erik yelled to his wife.

"Where are the twins? I can't find them!"

"I don't know... I don't see them..."

"Erik, we have to find them!" Her search ended quickly when she saw them several yards away, hiding behind a tree. "They're over there," she said to her husband.

"Go to them, Magda, I'll take care of these machines." Magda gave him a Erik a quick hug and ran to her children, but a Sentinel landed between them and raised its right arm. "Get away from her!" Erik angrily yelled at it. He waved his hands, but was startled when nothing happened. He waved the again. He realized, with no small shock, that his powers had no effect on this Sentinel.

"Erik, what's going on? Why aren't you stopping it?"

"I can't! My powers aren't working... run!" The Sentinel's forearm extended a flame emitter and fired at its intended target, the mutant directly in front of it. It didn't notice or care about the human being standing between it and its target.

"Magda, no!" He tried to reach her, but another firespray kept him away. "I... I'm sorry, Magda." He couldn't bear to see his wife burn, but Erik Lehnsherr was a realist. He knew that there was nothing he could do, and now he had other things to think about. The Sentinel had detected two other mutant signatures behind it, and by its programming, a set of two mutants was more important than just one. Erik knew that his wife would have done the same thing in his place. The Sentinel slowly turned around to face his children, both mutants, threats in the eyes of the Sentinel.

"Pietro, Wanda, run!" Pietro hesitated. Erik saw that there were more than tears in their eyes. Pietro's eyes were bitter and cold.

"What about mom?" Pietro asked with an insecure tone.

"There's nothing more we can do. You have to get away from here!" Reluctantly, Wanda climbed onto Pietro's back and they ran ahead at the speed of sound. Erik would have to catch up to them later, but first, he had to figure out how to destroy the Sentinel. 

"Magneto, wake up!" Colossus yelled. Magneto realized he was back in Egypt, on Colossus's shoulder, being carried away from the XT Sentinel.

"Now it makes sense," Magneto muttered to himself. 

Scott and Pyro were busy holding off the XT Sentinel as the others got away from it. Colossus set Magneto down before running back to help. "The Sentinel at the park that day was a prototype."

"So that's what it was." Pietro had been sitting next to him. With his limited abilities, he could only damage the XT Sentinel at close-range, and with its anti-mutant field up, he was no good. Caliban and Callisto, likewise, were on their way towards them. 

"Pietro-"

"No, I know. I get it now. You couldn't do anything." Pietro watched the others run around the XT Sentinel, unable to use their powers against it, but still keeping it busy. "So you did what you had to." Pietro paused. "I'm sorry for everything, dad. Your eye..."

"Wounds... heal, Pietro." Pietro understood his meaning and smiled, and Magneto smiled back. 

Archangel was the only fighter whose powers could not be nullified by the XT Sentinel. His metal wings were not actually his own; they had been grafted onto his back through the stumps of mutant appendages, his original mutation, through science. Though Beast's technology would have been able to nullify the movement of his wings, Trask's anti-mutant technology was several years old and could not stop the use of inhuman physical mutations, such as wings and claws. The XT Sentinel recognized that only Archangel was still able to use his abilities, and ignored the other targets. Archangel flew as quickly as his wings could carry him to avoid the XT Sentinel's gunfire. When it stopped, Archangel flapped his metal wings with enough force to launch several metal feathers at his robot attacker.

Warren Worthington had been strapped to a table in Beast's lab, only a few years after Apocalypse's release from his tomb. Warren didn't protest; he was under Mesmero's trance. His natural, angel-like wings had been amputated hours earlier by Beast.

"I still don't understand why you chose this one," Beast said. "There are more powerful mutants out there."

"It's not his mutation, it's his personality," Apocalypse clarified. "He is a natural leader. I need a commander, not a soldier."

"...And the symbolism of a winged Angel of Death is almost poetic."

"If you want to believe that, yes." Beast inserted a needle into Warren's arm, and a blue fluid was administered. In a few hours time, the metal wings had been grafted onto his back, and Warren's skin had developed a blue complexion. His hair had even started to darken to a light brown, from his natural blonde. Apocalypse stood before him with his hand held out, and on his command, Mesmero released Warren.

"Hm? What... who?"

"I am your master," Apocalypse commanded. Through his hand, Apocalypse took hold of Warren's mind. His command resonated through every chamber of his being until Warren had no choice but to obey. Within a matter of minutes, Warren had become a servant of Apocalypse. With increased strength, he broke from the restraints and stretched his silver wings that cracked like the sound of broken ice. His skin was now completely blue and his hair jet black. A line across his eye had mysteriously appeared. He stepped forward, regarding the powerful mutant that had taken control of his mind, and bowed, folding his metal wings behind him.

"I live to carry out your will, master," Warren spoke in monotone. Apocalypse smiled.

"Continue." Apocalypse had delivered the most crucial part, but the rest of the work was left for Mesmero. Mesmero locked eyes with Warren and begun to warp his mind even further, to ensure that all traces of his true identity were sealed away. He had specific instructions not to destroy his personality, as it was the reason he had been chosen. Mesmero had argued that it leaving any part of his mind intact was a great risk, but Apocalypse had... insisted.

Archangel's metal feathers flew into the XT Sentinel's metal armor and stuck there, but a few had hit critical points on the robot's body, and its legs began to malfunction. Below, the others cheered, and then the legs fell to the ground.

The XT Sentinel stayed up with the aid of thrusters that appeared from compartments where its legs had been. The XT Sentinel dropped several gas canisters onto the sand, looking to end the battle quickly. They ran in different directions, away from the gas spray, and the XT Sentinel stayed in place, trying to swat Archangel out of the air. He flew in and swiped the XT Sentinel with his wing, and the metal head was split in half. The top half fell into the sand as the rest of the XT Sentinel's body struggled to stay airborne. With no commands coming from the damaged head, the body lost all sense of direction and dropped to the ground, and the still-ignited thrusters sparked the gas and created a massive explosion that Pyro managed to subdue with his mental control. Once the smoke had cleared, the approached the burning wreckage.

"That takes care of that," Scott said. "What do we do now?"

"We bring Apocalypse down to our level," Archangel said. "Pyro, heat the column he's standing on."

"Wha?! Isn't that made of that queer metal? That stuff's only stronger when it's on fire!"

"Yes, but it gains a crucial weakness. Do it!" Reluctantly, Pyro aimed his flamethrower, and blasted the fire at the unmetal column that held Apocalypse's platform. Apocalypse took noticed of his and waved his hand behind Proteus's head. "I... oh no..."

"What is it?" Caliban asked.

"I'm being pulled in," Archangel said as he resisted. "He wants Proteus to absorb the last spark, mine."

"We will not let him!" Colossus yelled and held Archangel back, but he found that his strength was no match for Proteus's power. 

"We can't!" Magneto yelled. Though still laying on the ground, he raised his hand and pulled on Colossus's skin and Archangel's metal wings, holding them back with power equal to Proteus's. "That boy has absorbed enough power!"

"Let me go!" Archangel ordered. "You're just wasting your strength, there's nothing you can do! Apocalypse is still feeding him, and his pull will only intensify as his strength builds!"

"But we need you, you are our leader!" Colossus responded.

"You'll have to make due without me, just make sure you don't give Proteus any more energy! Apocalypse is focused on the boy, attack him physically! You can do this, now let go!" Colossus obeyed, and Archangel was drawn to Proteus and disappeared into the green void. Colossus lowered his head and muttered a prayer.

Pyro had heated the column until it burned red. Colossus took one of the XT Sentinel's legs and swung it at the column with all his strength, but the leg broke in half.

"Well fuck, some advice!" Scott grumbled. 

"No, wait," Magneto said. He sensed something from the heated column, and finally understood why Archangel had given such a strange command. Though heating unmetal made it much stronger, it also gave it a greater weakness: while heated, unmetal was susceptible to magnetic fields. Magneto waved both hands and pulled on it. The column bent, and the heated section pulled out. The platform fell over and Apocalypse steadied himself in midair before landing with an earth-cracking stomp, raising a cloud of sand from the crushed debris he had landed on. Proteus remained hovering in the same place he had been.

"We got his attention!" Scott yelled. He fired an optic blast, which Apocalypse deflected with a blink of his eyes. Wanda cast a hex bolt, which held Apocalypse in place long enough for Scott to land a well-aimed optic blast right on Apocalypse's face. He freed himself from Wanda's hex and began to walk forward.

"You are only prolonging your fate," he said to them. Wanda held him once more and Colossus slammed him with a headbutt before Apocalypse broke free. He started walking toward Wanda, growing annoyed by her powers. "You have betrayed me, Pestilence."

"I'm not Pestilence," Wanda replied with a confident smile, "I'm Wanda Lehnsherr." Apocalypse was held in place once more and, to everyone's surprise, Cannonball slammed into him at full speed. 

"Sam, Rahne!" Pietro called. Cannonball and Rahne had escaped from the base, in time to join the others in their battle.

"We're going to do everything we can to help," Rahne said to him. "It's the least we could do, after all we did before."

"I thought Mesmero had you..."

"No, we did it voluntarily. We were only thinking about ourselves when we made that deal with him. I'm so sorry, Pietro."

"Wounds heal," Pietro said with a smile. Apocalypse had broken free from the hex as Cannonball backed away. Apocalypse waved his hands and the earth shook. Nobody was seriously injured, but they all had to scramble to get back on their feet before he could try it again.

"Alright, everyone together next time!" Scott ordered. Wanda cast another hex bolt and froze Apocalypse in place. Scott fired his eye-beams as Cannonball launched himself into Apocalypse's back and once he was clear, Colossus charged into him. They all spread away quickly. Above, Proteus's strength grew, and his pull grew stronger as well. Wanda was starting to feel herself drawn towards Proteus, but she couldn't worry about that. She cast another hex bolt, and this time Pyro heated the unmetal armor that Apocalypse wore. Magneto used his own power to tighten the armor around him. Apocalypse clenched his teeth when the burning metal pressed against him, but as soon as he broke from the hex, he instantly cooled it, and continued to walk forward.

"He's stalling," Callisto realized. "He can kill her easily, but he's letting us win."

"But what is he waiting for?" Caliban asked.

"I don't know." When the next hex bolt disappeared, Apocalypse seized Callisto with his telekinetic power and prepared to throw her into the void. Wanda hexed him again, and he dropped her.

"Get away!" Caliban yelled. Callisto quickly heeded, but the moment Apocalypse was free of the hex, he raised his hand and Callisto dropped to the ground. Before Caliban could tend to her, he dropped as well. Apocalypse knew that they were the only ones who knew anything about his plans, thanks to the traitor, Death. He had planned to force Proteus to absorb them, but decided instead to finish them quickly by stopping their hearts.

"We're getting butchered out here!" Pietro yelled. Wanda raised her hex and Pietro ran around Apocalypse, kicking up sand that beat at him like tiny needles. He was quick to run out of Apocalypse's range when the hex was dropped.

"Try that pattern again!" Scott yelled. Wanda, Pyro and Magneto repeated their pattern and tightened the heated armor around the frozen Apocalypse. Having allowed this to happen to him twice, Apocalypse was upset. Wanda focused on her hex and Apocalypse remained in place and unable to move. Scott took off his glasses and let his optic blasts fly full-force. Most of it hit Apocalypse, but some of it flew into Proteus. Cannonball and Colossus continued their attacks.

"Egh... agh!" Apocalypse was beginning to regret letting them do this. As soon as the hex bolt was deflected, Apocalypse waved his hand at Wanda and raised her into the air. Scott fired at him, but the beam dissolved inches from his skin. Wanda's hex caused Apocalypse to slip slightly, but his grip on Wanda was steadily growing. Then, something happened that Apocalypse hadn't expected, and even more surprisingly, it worked.

Scott tackled him.

"Argh!" Apocalypse had let his guard down. He pushed Scott away and floated to his feet. Wanda cast another hex, and Cannonball flew right at his chest, but Apocalypse broke free of the hex before he could make a hit. Apocalypse caught Cannonball by the head, pushing with enough strength to cancel out the jet-like speed of his flight, and threw him towards Proteus. 

"No more energy attacks, then," Scott said. When the green flash subsided, Apocalypse broke free from Wanda's hex and he tried once more to attack her, but something was pulling him from behind. Magneto wasn't pulling Apocalypse so much as he was pulling back his mutant energy with his magnetic powers. Apocalypse turned back and threw Magneto upward, then allowed himself a wicked grin.

"Father!" Wanda yelled. Pietro ran to catch him and grabbed onto Magneto's hand as Proteus pulled him in. 

"Let go of me, Pietro. You heard Archangel. There is nothing you can do."

"Father, I can't!"

"Pietro, you will be pulled in with me. I would be betraying your mother if I let you die with me." Pietro closed his eyes and sighed.

"I won't forget you, father."

"Nor will I." Pietro released him and watched as he was drawn into Proteus's energy cloud. Pietro wasn't sure what Magneto had meant, but now wasn't the time to think about it. 

"Get away from her!" Scott yelled as Apocalypse took hold of Wanda. Her hex powers were beginning to weaken, and she felt an intense pressure inside her that started to move outwards. She wanted to scream, but she had become paralyzed by his power. Pietro ran around him, but Apocalypse quickly knocked him away. In desperation Scott ignored his own command and threw off his glasses and let his eyes fire at their maximum strength. Apocalypse blocked the surge of red energy with his arm, and then waved it towards Proteus. All of Scott's optic energy was directed towards the green light.

Then, Apocalypse dropped Wanda. He sensed something behind him, ignoring everyone else. A wide, proud grin grew on his face.

"At last... you are ready!" Apocalypse spoke to his adopted son, Proteus, who had now shed the infant body that could no longer contain his power. Now, he was a being of pure green energy, changing his basic shape every few seconds into a rough outline of those he had merged with. The only constant to his form was the outline of wings, which remained even as the rest of his body changed. 

"Father," an eerie, shapeless voice spoke with a deep and menacing echo. 

"I have saved them for you. Have fun, Proteus. Make your father proud."

"Father!" Proteus screamed. 

"Proteus... what is wrong?" Proteus ignored the other mutants and the green shape floated towards Apocalypse. Proteus had not only absorbed the energy of his victims; he had merged with them. Magneto had realized this. Proteus was filled with years of knowledge and experienced, culled from the minds of the five mutants he had merged with. Proteus was now intelligent enough to understand much more than he had as a mere infant. From Alex and Rogue, he learned that Apocalypse was manipulative and cruel. From Cannonball, he learned that Apocalypse had no servants, only slaves, kept loyal through force. From Magneto, he learned that Apocalypse had engineered the death of Mystique, who he had come to know as his foster mother. From Archangel he learned that Apocalypse had ordered the destruction of his village and the death of his family, including his real mother. And now, Apocalypse wanted him to accept him as his father? "Proteus... what are you doing?!"

"You are not my father!" Proteus screamed. His luminous hand reached into Apocalypse's chest. Apocalypse then realized what Magneto had learned. In an other time, Apocalypse had killed the boy's mentor. In this time he had done far worse, he had killed his mother. How could he have been so stupid? He should have seen the possible consequences when he ordered his Horsemen to destroy that village. 

Whatever the circumstances, Apocalypse was not afraid of Proteus. 

"And what do you hope to accomplish?" Apocalypse asked, as he pulled Proteus's energy-bound arm out and pushed him back with his own power. "Do you want to absorb me, and kill me? I'll live on in you. Then you'll know everything I did. Can you live with such knowledge, Proteus? It is more than you could ever handle! Even with your great power and your absorbed minds, you're just a child! It would destroy you!"

"Just... like... Shifter..." Proteus plunged his intangible hands into Apocalypse's chest and focused all his strength into him. Apocalypse screamed in pain and terror as he was engulfed by Proteus's green light. Apocalypse then felt only pain, a sensation he had not felt in centuries, and never in such an intense amount. Apocalypse could feel his strength leaving him, replaced by the sensation of his own blood boiling him alive, and there was nothing he could do about it. Even then, Apocalypse refused to accept this. He focused all of his power on Proteus and began to force him out, but it was all in vain, as the more energy Apocalypse exerted on Proteus, the more he absorbed, and the stronger he became.

"C'mon, we have to get out of here!" Scott yelled to the others. He helped Wanda to her feet, then took her hand and ran. Pietro carried Rahne with him at high speed, and Colossus and Pyro were left to fend for themselves. The green light grew brighter, and by contrast, everything outside of its range grew darker. 

Then, it faded. The light withdrew, and Proteus vanished. He left behind the dried and decaying corpse of En Sabah Nur, whose entire life-energy had been absorbed. Proteus had not merged with him; he had only absorbed his life-energy, as he had done with Shifter. At long last, Apocalypse was dead.

"It's all over," Wanda whispered. Her hair returned to its original black color, and the line across her eye faded. She dropped to the sand, exhausted. Her life would never be the same again. Apocalypse had taken her friends, her family. All she had left now was Pietro... and Scott. He sat next to her, holding her hand. Though she couldn't see his eyes, she knew that he was tired and sad, but at the same time, he was happy. Another light shined on them from the east, hiding behind one of the remaining towers, a beacon of hope that came with each new day.

It was the Egyptian dawn.

-------------------------------

Paul McGregor appeared near the last remaining aircraft a short distance from the base. Two of them had already left, carrying as many soldiers as they could, and the third was about ready for takeoff.

"I'm quite a skilled pilot, I assure you," Lucid told General Trask. He had been kicked out of Callisto and Caliban's private plane. 

"We have our own pilots." Trask signaled to Amanda Sefton, who took to the controls. "Colonel Matthews, are there any more mutants in there?"

"Just this kid," Colonel Matthews replied as he pushed Jamie Madrox out of the plane. "That's the last of them... sir, Private McGregor is here." Trask turned to face the young mutant, rather surprised, but quickly hiding it.

"Private McGregor, you're looking... well. Your mutation helped you?"

"...Yes, sir."

"You're admitting it, at least. You're past the first step. If you'll excuse me, we must be going now." Trask stepped into the plane, and a few minutes later, it lifted off and left the stranded mutants behind.

"We can still rely on your teleportation skills," Lucid said to McGregor.

"How-"

"We have been briefed, you know. Your older self, how is he?"

"Dead," McGregor said with a grin.

"Oh. I see. Ah... listen, you two stay put. I'm going over to the base to see what's happened. If you're going to be teleporting us all, you'll need to rest up and save your energy." Lucid climbed down the rocks and trudged through the sand towards the ruined base. McGregor and Jamie sat in silence for a few moments.

"Sad, huh?" Jamie Madrox said. "All those people died because of you." 

"I..." McGregor hadn't thought of it that way. Even if it was a future version of himself that changed everything to fit Apocalypse's vision, it was still him. "I know that." 

"So what do you plan to do about it?"

"I can't do anything."

"I think I might have a solution for you."

"I can't do it, Jamie," McGregor said, knowing exactly what Jamie was thinking about. "Shifter told me that if I went back in time, I'd just create a new timeline. Everyone would still be dead."

"You think making another timeline is dangerous? It's bullshit, Paul." McGregor did a double-take at seeing such a young boy talk in such a manner. "That little son of a bitch lied to you. Look, Callisto explained the whole time-physics thing to me. Turns out, you don't make new timelines, you make direct changes to one."

"Why? That doesn't make any sense."

"Did anything Shifter told you make sense? Come on. He lied to you. Just accept it. He was ready to let you die just to save his own sorry ass. And you see what happened? He got his. He's already been punished for being a damn liar, so why are you letting his lie outlive him?" Paul had to think about what Jamie said. It all made sense... but at the same time, it didn't. How did Jamie know how Shifter had died? Maybe someone told him? Callisto? Of course, it had to be her.

-------------------------------

"Now what happens?" Pietro asked. He sat on the wreckage of a Sentinel with Rahne, Colossus and Pyro. "I mean, Apocalypse is dead, and that's great and all, but now we got the kid to worry about."

"We don't have to worry," Colussus assured him. "Archangel explained it once. He said that even with all the knowledge in his mind, he is still a child. He remains innocent. What he did to Apocalypse was revenge. I do not believe he is aware of what he has done, and may not understand until he is older."

"Wait, wait, I'm confused... how can he know all this stuff, but not know it?"

"I am not sure myself. It was explained to me, but I still do not fully understand." Colossus held the lifeless body of baby Kevin in his arms. "He shed his body and became living energy. With the energy he drained from Apocalypse, he may have grown so strong that we may never understand what has truly happened to him."

"Maybe he's living energy field," Pietro said added. "I mean... I'm no physicist or whatever, but maybe he's spread across the planet, like he's everywhere at once."

"You read too many comic books," Pyro said.

Scott and Wanda were startled by the sudden appearance of McGregor and Jamie. McGregor wasted no time in explaining himself.

"I'm going back."

"Back where?" Wanda asked.

"...In time. I'm going back. I'm going to fix everything."

"What? Kid, wait!" Scott called. When McGregor's white light disappeared, Scott quickly realized what would happen. With history changed, everything that resulted from it would change as well. What was he going to fix? Was he going to stop Apocalypse himself? Was he going to stop them from battling Apocalypse? Was he going to prevent Apocalypse's release? Was he going to stop Professor...

...Yes, that was it. He was going to prevent Xavier's death. Changing that event would have significant, profound effects from the moment in time onward... including the formation of the X-Men and the Darkholme Brotherhood. One last thing flashed in Scott's mind, the one thing that was more important to him than the possibilities of altered time.

Jamie Madrox had always been fascinated by forcing others to feel pain, but now, his sadistic nature had elevated beyond physical pain. He wanted others to suffer. Jamie hadn't lied when he told Paul that Shifter wasn't telling him the whole truth... but Jamie didn't reveal that it was only because Shifter didn't understand it himself. When Shifter had died, their timeline became the true timeline, since all links to the original timeline had disappeared. Now, the timeline that was at once considered the original had become the alternate, now that this timeline existed on its own, without any links. 

Even if Jamie would never get to see his handiwork, he smiled.

"Wanda, I lo-"

Jamie Madrox had the last laugh.

-------------------------------

Jamie Madrox, known as Multiple, ran after his fellow recruits on their way to a Danger Room session at the Xavier Institute in Bayville, New York. Like all other recruits, he wore a form-fitting black suit with yellow boots, gloves and belt, and with red shoulderpads with black X's on them.

"Wait up!" Jamie called. 

"I'm sick of waiting for you," Berzerker said. 

"Yeah, you just drag us down," Iceman added. "Hey Boom Boom, you better hurry, too."

"Right, I'll be there in a second," Tabitha Smith replied, filing her nails. "Rahne, how do my nails look?"

"Just fine," Rahne Sinclair told her. Inside the Danger Room, Cannonball and Magma used their powers to destroy laser-firing robots as Jubilee and Sunspot dealt with mechanical tentacles. Professor Charles Xavier stood on the observation balcony of the Danger Room, watching his young recruits battle against the mechanical weapons. His mind was considered among the greatest of his time, not just for his intelligence, but for his great telepathic abilities. It was ironic that the most powerful telepath on the planet was confined to a motorized wheelchair, but still carried himself with dignity. . 

Scott Summers, better known as Cyclops, walked into the control room. Professor Xavier had rescued Scott from an orphanage at a later age, and Scott regarded him as something of a father. Scott's hair was kept short and neat, and he was clean-shaven. His optic beams were hard to control, and so he was forced to wear a ruby-quartz visor. 

"They work so well together," Professor Xavier told his young associate. They were soon joined by Jean Grey, who had not taken a codename. Jean was a beautiful red-haired girl, which was partially why it seemed the other girls on the team resented her. She had fairly strong telekinetic abilities, and she was drew confidence in the development of her telepathic powers from her boyfriend, Scott. 

"The Brotherhood is at it again," Jean said.

"You don't need to defeat them," Magneto told his son and right-hand man, Quicksilver. "You only need to distract them long enough to allow my team to accomplish their mission." Magneto and Professor Xavier had once been allies, but those days were long over. Whereas Xavier believed that humans and mutants could live together, Magneto believed that humans would never accept mutants, and that mutants should look out for themselves. 

"We won't fail you," Pietro said. He dashed away from the shadowy alcove and into the school courtyard, where his allies waited. Lance Alvers, Fred Dukes, and Todd Tolensky, better known as Avalanche, Blob and Toad, were getting impatient.

"Can we do this now?" Lance asked.

"Not while we're here!" Cyclops yelled. Avalanched grinned.

"Now we're talking!" The ground shook under Cyclops's feet, but he steadied himself with a stop sign. Blob charged at Spyke, but Shadowcat phased him through and Blob hit a wall instead. Toad jumped around like a maniac without actually attempting anything, until he was finally caught by Rogue.

"Good night, Toad!" she yelled. After absorbing his power, she went for Blob, who pushed her aside and charged at Jean. She managed to hold him in a telekinetic sphere.

"What's wrong, Jean?" he called. "Am I too much for you to handle?"

"You're too much of something, that's for sure."

"Hah!" Blob slowly pushed against the sphere and made his way towards her. "Come on, how about a kiss?"

"I'd rather eat mud."

"Suit yourself!" Avalanche yelled. A wave of mud splashed onto her and Blob was released. 

"You stay away from her!" Cyclops yelled. 

"Everyone, stop!" Storm yelled. She landed between the two sides. "We have other problems to deal with."

"Like what?" Cyclops asked, expecting a damned good answer. His answer came in the form of a growl from the lion-like Sabretooth, who pounced on Cyclops before roaring. The X-Men turned to see the school's front doors burst apart at Gambit's hands. He stepped aside as Colossus carried an unconscious Dr. Trask out of the school.

"Is that... Dr. Trask?" Cyclops asked. "What are you clowns doing?!"

"Relax, slim," Gambit told him, casually. "We're helping you out this time."

"By kidnapping him? How is that helpful?"

"Yes, I would like an explanation as well," Professor Xavier said. He surprised his team with his appearance. Normally, he stayed out of battle zones. With his presence, Magneto revealed himself, hovering down to Professor Xavier from the roof of the school.

"Dr. Trask is a common enemy, Charles," Magneto explained. "He had broken into the school to obtain background information on your students, as well as any leftover data on my recruits." Magneto nodded at his team, who quickly ran. 

"Though your methods are crude, had I known about this, I wouldn't have sent my students here to fight."

"Yes, I know. You would, however, disagree with the other reason I am here. Dr. Trask will be... an example."

"Do you expect the world to fear you, Magnus?" Xavier asked. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I have waited long enough. I have wasted too much time allowing humankind to build its defense. This man created the Sentinel that attacked you months ago. I will show the world that those who strike us will be the first to face us." 

"Not if we have something to say about it!" Cyclops commanded. The rest of the X-Men- Jean Grey, Rogue, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Spyke, Wolverine and Storm prepared themselves for battle. Cyclops held a finger on the trigger of his visor. Magneto regarded the team facing him. Below him, Avalanche, Blob, Toad, Quicksilver and Sabretooth were ready to fight the battle for him. Colossus and Gambit had already left the scene. "Give it up. You're outnumbered."

"Wait, two of them are missing..." Storm said. The roof of the school exploded as Pyro ran out, cackling.

"You maniac, what have you done?!"

"Relax, mate! You guys need some sunshine every now and again anyway!" 

"Well, there's Pyro. Now where's-" Cyclops was thrown forward by a blast behind them, but when he got up to see what had happened, he saw no damage. Everyone was thrown down, but nothing else had been touched. What he did see was Magneto's crimson-clad daughter, the Scarlet Witch. "...Wanda." 

-------------------------------

"Your work was less than satisfactory, Pietro," Magneto said to his son as both of his teams gathered inside his metal base. "You are slowing down. You require more training. All of you."

"Come on, we don't have any fancy training equipment like the X-Men," Pietro reasoned.

"No, but you must improvise," Magneto told him. "Train against your teammates if you must."

"Are you kidding me?! All I've got is super-speed, these guys have exploding cards and earthquakes and flamethrowers! How am I supposed to get any better when they could all gang up and beat me to death?"

"That is none of my concern, Pietro. I don't care how you do it, but I want you to hone your skills."

"Why are you so mad, anyway?" Blob asked. "We beat 'em, didn't we?"

"No. Wanda did. The rest of you are failing me. I have other matters to attend, concerning Trask. I expect you all to use your free time to improve your skills." Magneto opened a metal door and left the central chamber. Pietro slammed his fist into Blob's stomach in anger.

"Hey, hey, what's this?!"

"I need to punch something that wouldn't break my hand, alright?!" Pietro snapped. "He's never happy! He wants us all to be supermen or something, why can't he be more realistic?!"

"Stop your whining!" Pyro yelled. "We get bitched at because you younger punks're dragging us all down!"

"This wasn't our fault!" Avalanche yelled back. "The X-Men outnumber us!"

"Numbers don't mean anything," Gambit told them. "If we all went up against Magneto right now, we'd be toast. The man has a point, we need to be more well-prepared."

"You can stop kissing his ass when he leaves the room, you know!"

"Aw, that's it!" Gambit took three cards out of his coat and charged them. "You kids want to wrestle with the big boys, do you?!"

"This is ridiculous," Wanda muttered to herself. As Colossus tried to mediate, Wanda took advantage of the distraction and sneaked out.

-------------------------------

The X-Men had obviously lost that battle. It seemed that whenever Wanda appeared, there was no way to win. That was it, her very presence marked the end of the battle. Magneto had kidnapped Dr. Trask, and the school had been significantly damaged, both by Pyro's antics and the battle that followed. As the other X-Men tended to their wounds, Scott Summers grabbed his keys and headed down the stairs.

"Scott?" Professor Xavier called.

"I'm gonna go out for a drive, Professor. I just need to get my mind off of things."

"Very well. Hank and I will get to work trying to figure out where Magneto has taken Trask. I'll have Jean call you if we find anything."

"Yeah... yeah, I won't be long." Scott drove up to his usual thinking spot, the one place where he knew he would be alone, overlooking the rest of the city. Sometimes, Scott had trouble accepting his position as team leader. He felt he was good enough- no, he knew he was good enough- but that didn't make his job any easier. There was so much responsibility on his shoulders. If the team won, he was to thank. If they lost, he was to blame. With Magneto's increased activity, he had less time to himself, and more importantly in his mind, less time for Jean. It was always battle, battle, research, battle. Sometimes he wondered if it was all worth it. Sometimes, he justed wished he could turn back time, and never join the X-Men. His life would have been so much easier. But then... if he had never joined...

"Jean," Scott whispered to herself.

"No, sorry," a female voice replied. Scott then noticed Wanda sitting in Lance's jeep. He reached for his shades. "Hey, relax. I'm not here to fight."

"It's about all you ever do."

"You guys start as much trouble as those jerks do, so don't start."

"What do you mean, 'those jerks?' You're with them, too."

"Yeah, but I'm doing this for my father. He's not such a bad guy."

"I'm sure," Scott snapped.

"Look, I'm not going to lie to you, I agree with him about humans. I just don't always agree with his methods... but whatever it takes."

"And then we have to do whatever it takes to stop him. The next day, he's stirring trouble someplace else. I don't know which option I like better, beating Magneto, or just giving up."

"I feel that way sometimes, too," Wanda whispered.

"What are you talking about? You've never lost."

"That's not what I meant!" Wanda sighed. "Sometimes, it's just like nothing I do makes him happy. He never has time for me anymore. It's always about his own plans. The only way I can spend any time with him is to go along and do what he wants."

"Hmm. I didn't think you disagreed with him." 

"There's a lot of things you X-Men don't understand. You're not always right, you know. Even if you think we're bad guys, we're still people. Pietro, Fred, Toad, Lance... I live with them, you know. They're immature losers, but they're really not bad people. It all comes down to how you see things." 

"It's hard to see things the way they are when you're wearing goggles. You know, I don't even know what color shirt I'm wearing. They all look the same to me."

"It's blue," Wanda told him. "And your pants are green."

"Huh? Aw, man..."

"Don't worry about it. It doesn't look that bad."

"Oh, easy for you to say, you don't share a house with Jean Grey..." Wanda giggled. It was a rather alien sound to Scott. He wasn't sure he had ever seen her so much as smile. "You know... you should laugh more often." Scott felt somewhat awkawrd telling her that, but somehow, it also felt natural. "You.. look good when you smile."

"...Thanks," Wanda hesitantly said. "I don't get that often. You-" Wanda was interrupted by an obnoxious beeping noise, coming from Scott's red sports car. Scott checked the glove compartment and answered his cell phone. Wanda looked away as he talked to whoever it was who had bothered them.

"Jean... right. You found Trask? What about Magneto? Alright. I'm on my way." Scott threw the cell phone onto the passenger's seat. "Listen, I've gotta go..." Wanda was silent, preferring to look at the city than at Scott. "You know we're going to have to fight you, right?"

"I know," Wanda calmly replied, still looking away. 

"Well... I'll talk to you... some other time, then." Scott smiled politely. When Wanda didn't return the gesture, his smile faded and he drove away. She was well aware that she would have to fight him again, and even more aware of the fact that she would have to beat him. During the brief conversation they had, Wanda had felt something towards him, but she wasn't sure what it was, exactly. It certainly wasn't love... but she didn't hate him. It was almost as if there had been something between them at one time.

But how could that be? That was the first time they had even really spoken.

Wanda exhaled, and that strange feeling was gone.

So that's it. This fic is finally over, almost a year after I started it... damn, I'm slow. Again, thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed this story. Now, there's a few things I seem to have left unanswered. Where's Tabby? What happened to Beast? And exactly what is Proteus's fate? Well, draw your own conclusions, because I'm leaving those open.

But...

I am considering revisiting this alternate universe again. I'd have to shift a few things around just so it doesn't become about Apocalypse again, and different characters will probably have different levels of importance, just so Scott's not the main character again, but the characters will be the same (with the exception of Apocalypse's servants). So what do you think? You want to see these versions again? Let me know.


	16. Age of Apocalypse Full Character List

Not an actual update, but a full list of characters, including their finale fates, for anyone wishing to find out without reading through that mess of a story. 

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The X-Men

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Name: Erik Magnus Lehnsherr (Magneto)

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Affiliation: The X-Men

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Powers: Capable of manipulating magnetic fields and in effect, control metal itself

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Known Relatives: Magda Lehnsherr (wife), Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch (children) 

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Place of Birth: Poland

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History: Magnus was a close friend of Professor Charles Xavier, and together they did research on genetics and the emergence of mutants. They hadn't even begun to formulate their theories on human reaction when a time-traveler (later revealed to be Shifter) appeared and killed Xavier. In memory of his friend, Magneto took his research and formed the X-Men. While his daughter Wanda became the field leader, his son Pietro resented him due to a misunderstanding and left to join Wolverine, along with a few other X-Men. Magneto was a strict man and could be cold and sometimes almost fanatical, but he wasn't evil, and acted in the interests of others.

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Fate: Magneto merged with Proteus, and there, he shared his knowledge with the infant mutant.

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Name: Wanda Lehnsherr (Scarlet Witch, later the Horseman of Pestilence)

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Affiliation: The X-Men, later made a Horseman of Apocalypse (Red Army)

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Powers: Capable of affecting probability fields and cause unlikely phenomena to occur

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Known Relatives: Magneto (father), Magda Lehnsherr (mother), Quicksilver (brother) 

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Place of Birth: Somewhere in Europe, but moved to New York at a very young age

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History: Wanda was a calm, mature girl who followed in the footsteps of her father, Magneto, and became his second-in-command in the X-Men. Wanda followed orders for the most part and was annoyed by irrational people, which didn't explain her feelings for Scott Darkholme. Unfortunately, they never had a chance to act on those feelings.

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Fate: Wanda survived the entire ordeal, but this persona was destroyed when time was shifted back to normal.

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Name: Forge (real name unrevealed)

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Affiliation: The X-Men

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Powers: Capable of conceiving and building new technology

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Unknown

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History: Forge is a middle-aged man who works as the X-Men's general tech guy. Though he can create powerful weapons from scratch, he is not an active member of the X-Men and prefers to stay at the Institute and work with his gadgets. Forge and Magneto weren't close, but Magneto did appreciate having another adult to talk to every now and then.

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Fate: Forge was strangled by a Sentinel whipcord wrapped around his neck by an enemy mutant (Thunderbird).

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Name: Alex Summers (Havok, later the Horseman of Famine)

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Affiliation: The X-Men, later made a Horseman of Apocalypse (Blue Army)

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Powers: Capable of firing blasts of energy in centralized beams or in wide bursts

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Known Relatives: Scott Darkholme (brother)

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Place of Birth: St. Louis, Missouri

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History: Alex Summers and his older brother Alex were the sole survivors of a plane accident that was caused by Alex's out-of-control powers. Though Alex knew it was an accident, Scott would blame him for years. Eventually Alex was adopted by Magneto while Scott was adopted by Mystique. Alex sees Magneto as something of a father, and even tries to act like him at times.

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Fate: When Rogue was drawn into Proteus's energy field, Alex tried to hold her back, but he was drawn in and they both merged with Proteus.

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Name: Jean Grey (Converse)

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Affiliation: The X-Men

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Powers: Capable of telekinesis, as well as mild (and uncontrolled) telepathy

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Known Relatives: Mastermind (father), Toad (brother)

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Place of Birth: Unknown; adopted by a family in Connecticut

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History: Jean Grey is the daughter of Mastermind and sister of Toad. Though she never discusses her life before her adoption, it's clear that she never got along with her father, to say the least. When Mastermind abandoned them, Jean was adopted by the Grey family and Toad was adopted by Mystique. Jean was never close to Toad, and she grew to hate him simply because of his relation to Mastermind. Jean has always had a bad attitude, which made her relationship with Freddy Dukes seem even stranger. Jean and Toad eventually settled their differences and joined together to defeat their father.

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Fate: After witnessing Freddy's death, Jean was killed by her own uncontrolled power when she destroyed the tower beneath her.

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Name: Freddy Dukes (Stalwart)

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Affiliation: The X-Men

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Powers: Super-strength as well as durable skin and fat-like cells

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Lubbock, Texas

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History: Freddy Dukes never looked very normal, but with reality altered and mutants becoming dominant, it didn't matter. Freddy is a self-confident, mature and insightful man, which goes against his brute-like appearance. He's romantically involved with Jean Grey and usually has to bring her back to reality when her temper gets the best of her. 

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Fate: Freddy was heavily injured by Nightcrawler; upon deciding to return to battle, Nightcrawler fatally mauled him.

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Name: Kate Pryde (Ariel)

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Affiliation: The X-Men

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Powers: Capable of phasing molecules, effectively moving through solid matter

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Northbrook, Illinois

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History: Kate Pryde was traumatized when her childhood friend Lance Alvers mysteriously became evil and tried to kill her one day. She eventually ended up with the X-Men, but she rarely participated in missions and spent most of her time brooding and mumbling to herself. Jean Grey took pity on her and acted as an older sister to her, one of the rare times where Jean's fiery personality was calmed. Lance's sudden return to normal instilled some sense into her, but it was short-lived.

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Fate: Kate was crushed by the tower that collapsed under Jean Grey's uncontrolled power.

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The Darkholme Brotherhood

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Name: Raven Darkholme (Mystique)

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Affiliation: The Darkholme Brotherhood, later allied with the X-Men

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Powers: Capable of changing her form to resemble any other person or animal

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Known Relatives: Nightcrawler, Rogue (children) Scott, Toad (adoptive children)

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Place of Birth: Unknown; possibly Eastern Europe

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History: Though little is known of Mystique's early life, she is clearly not an evil person during the Age of Apocalypse. She is still greatly independent, but she is devoted to her family. Her son Kurt and daughter Marie were never taken from her, and she adopted two more outcast children. She has ties to Magneto and the X-Men, but is not very eager to join their crusade or put her family in danger. 

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Fate: Mystique was mauled to death by her own son, a transformed and brainwashed Nightcrawler.

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Name: Scott Darkholme (no codename)

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Affiliation: The Darkholme Brotherhood, later allied with the X-Men

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Powers: Capable of firing force-blasts from his eyes

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Known Relatives: Mystique (adoptive mother), Nightcrawler, Rogue, Toad (adoptive siblings), Havok (brother)

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Place of Birth: St. Louis, Missouri

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History: Scott Summers and his brother Alex were the sole survivors of a plane accident, which Alex was partially responsible for. Alex was adopted by Magneto while Scott was adopted by Mystique. Scott held a grudge against his brother for his parents' death and his hard life in the orphanage. Scott gets along well with his new family, but he is very independent and difficult to control. He has feelings for Magneto's daughter, Wanda, but is reluctant to act on them.

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Fate: Scott survived the entire ordeal, but this persona was destroyed when time was shifted back to normal.

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Name: Marie Darkholme (Rogue)

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Affiliation: The Darkholme Brotherhood, later allied with the X-Men

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Powers: Capable of absorbing the powers and memories of others through skin contact

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Known Relatives: Mystique (mother), Nightcrawler (brother) Scott, Toad (adoptive brothers)

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Place of Birth: Meridian, Mississippi

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History: Due to the distortion of time and reality, Marie was born to Mystique, rather than adopted. She kept many of her memories because she rarely absorbed the memories of anyone else, and her demeanor was much calmer as a result. While allied with the X-Men, she grew attracted to Havok, though she was often reminded that Havok was Scott's biological brother. Their mutual feelings never had a chance to fully develop.

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Fate: After absorbing the mind-controlling "sparks" of several of Apocalypse's horsemen, Rogue was forcibly taken by Proteus and merged with him.

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Name: Kurt Darkholme (known as Nightcrawler after his transformation)

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Affiliation: The Darkholme Brotherhood, briefly allied with the X-Men and later made a servant of Apocalypse

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Powers: Capable of teleportation; further mutation turned him into a lion/wolf-like beast with blue fur

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Known Relatives: Mystique (mother), Rogue (sister) Scott, Toad (adoptive brothers)

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Place of Birth: Unknown, possibly Bayville

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History: Kurt was never separated from his mother, who was more docile when she had a family. Kurt had no accent and liked to wear black, but otherwise was very similar to the original Kurt, though he is more proud to be a mutant. He was captured by Apocalypse and subjected to an advancement that transformed him into a mindless and bizarrely powerful monster, one who couldn't even recognize his own mother, much less stop himself from killing her.

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Fate: Nightcrawler was killed by a fatal blow to the head from Colossus.

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Name: Todd Darkholme (Toad)

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Affiliation: The Darkholme Brotherhood, later allied with the X-Men

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Powers: Increased leg strength, long tongue, capable of producing sticky green slime

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Known Relatives: Mystique (adoptive mother), Scott, Rogue, Nightcrawler (adoptive siblings), Jean Grey (sister), Mastermind (father)

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Place of Birth: Unknown; left in orphanage in New York

****

History: Toad, along with Jean Grey, was fathered by Mastermind. Little is known about their life with him, except that they both hate him enough to wish his death. At some point, Mastermind abandoned them both and they were given to separate families. Toad was adopted by Mystique, whereas Jean was adopted by the Grey family, and for strange reasons, grew to loathe Toad as well. Toad was very close to his new family, and felt very confident around them. Jean and Toad eventually settled their differences and joined together to defeat their father.

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Fate: After killing Mastermind, Toad accidentally jumped off the tower. When Jean tried to catch him, she was distracted by Wolverine, and Toad fell to his death.

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X-Force

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Name: Jack Logan (Wolverine)

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Affiliation: X-Force, later revealed to be a servant of Apocalypse (Red Army General)

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Powers: Enhanced senses and healing factor, retractable claws; further mutation added extremely strong bones and a faster healing factor

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Known Relatives: None

****

Place of Birth: Northern Canada

****

History: Logan was a member of the Canadian Special Forces when he was captured by the Weapon X project. He managed to escape, but after that, his life story is largely unknown. He eventually found Magneto, who offered him a place among the X-Men. Wolverine's ideals didn't fit Magneto's and he split from the X-Men, taking a few students with him, including Quicksilver, and forming X-Force along with an "old friend," Mastermind. However, it seems that at some point between his escape and his days with the X-Men, Wolverine became a slave to Apocalypse, and he would betray both the X-Men and his own X-Force for the honor of his master.

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Fate: After discovering that Archangel was a traitor, Wolverine rushed at him, only to be swiftly decapitated.

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Name: Jason Wyngarde (Mastermind)

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Affiliation: X-Force, later revealed to be a servant of Apocalypse

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Powers: Capable of projecting illusions into the minds of others; further mutation allowed greater mental control with minimal concentration

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Known Relatives: Jean Grey (daughter), Toad (son)

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Place of Birth: Unknown, but believed to be Italy

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History: Mastermind's life is mostly unknown, except that he had two children, who he apparently abused and abandoned. Sometime after this (or possibly before, it's not clear), he became a servant of Apocalypse and was teamed up with Wolverine, who lured several of Magneto's students into a new team called X-Force. Though most of X-Force became slaves to Apocalypse, their primary target, Quicksilver, got away. Mastermind was later advanced by Apocalypse as part of a sinister trap for the human army.

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Fate: Despite Mastermind's illusions, Toad kicked him off a tower with Jean's telepathic help.

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Name: Pietro Lehnsherr (Quicksilver)

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Affiliation: X-Force, later an ally of the X-Men

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Powers: Capable of moving and thinking at high speed

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Known Relatives: Magneto (father), Magda Lehnsherr (mother), Scarlet Witch (sister) 

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Place of Birth: Somewhere in Europe, but moved to New York at a very young age

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History: Due to a mistaken belief that Magneto's selfish actions cost his mother her life, Pietro grew up resenting his father and rejecting his ideals. Though he was never officially an X-Man, he reluctantly lived at the Institute until the rogue X-Man Wolverine decided to form a new team, which Quicksilver gladly joined. Unfortunately, it was all an elaborate trap to lure Magneto into Apocalypse's control. Though their personalities were similar, Quicksilver and Scott Darkholme had a bizarre partnership that kept them both equally annoyed of each other.

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Fate: Pietro survived the entire ordeal, but this persona was destroyed when time was shifted back to normal.

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Name: Remy LeBeau (Gambit)

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Affiliation: X-Force, later a servant of Apocalypse

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Powers: Capable of charging objects with explosive energy

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: New Orleans, Louisiana

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History: Gambit was among the X-Men students that left with Wolverine. Unfortunately, it was all a trap, and Gambit became a servant of Apocalypse. He kept his free will, and was forced to work for Apocalypse under pain of death. Unlike the rest of X-Force, Gambit decided that it was more to his advantage to work for Apocalypse than it was to fight him. 

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Fate: Killed when an optic blast from Scott sent him right into a few of his own charged cards, which had been floating around.

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Name: Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane)

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Affiliation: X-Force, later a servant of Apocalypse, and later again an ally of the X-Men

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Powers: Capable of transforming into a wolf

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Scotland

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History: Rahne Sinclair was among the X-Men students that left with Wolverine. Unfortunately, it was all a trap, and Rahne became a servant of Apocalypse. She kept her free will, and was forced to work for Apocalypse under pain of death. She eventually decided to go against Apocalypse, though she wasn't very useful in the battle against him. She has a crush on her teammate, Quicksilver.

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Fate: Rahne survived the entire ordeal, but this persona was destroyed when time was shifted back to normal.

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Name: Sam Guthrie (Cannonball)

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Affiliation: X-Force, later a servant of Apocalypse, and later again an ally of the X-Men

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Powers: Capable of jet-propulsion, limited invulnerability while in flight

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Guthrie Farm in Kentucky

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History: Cannonball was among the X-Men students that left with Wolverine. Unfortunately, it was all a trap, and Cannonball became a servant of Apocalypse. He kept his free will, and was forced to work for Apocalypse under pain of death. He eventually decided to go against Apocalypse, though he wasn't very useful in the battle against him. Cannonball's face was heavily scarred from early manifestations of his power and he wore thick armor as a security blanket more than anything else.

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Fate: Cannonball merged with Proteus.

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Apocalypse's Forces

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Name: En Sabah Nur (Apocalypse)

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Affiliation: Himself

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Powers: The full extent of Apocalypse's powers are unknown, but he is apparently capable of some form of telekinesis, levitation, and limited control over energy.

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Lower Egypt

****

History: Released several years early by Dr. Nathaniel Essex, Apocalypse wasted no time in spreading his influence. Though he mainly used manipulation as his weapon, he was believed to be the most powerful mutant alive. He was the one who had sent Shifter back in time to alter history, and years after his release, he began searching for a young mutant that, in the original timeline, would grow more powerful than himself.

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Fate: Apocalypse's life-force was drained and absorbed by Proteus.

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Name: Warren Worthington III (Archangel, the Horseman of Death)

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse (Horsemen, Black Army), secretly a traitor and ally of the X-men

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Powers: Original mutation of feathered wings has been lost; early experimentation produced enhanced speed, strength and mental ability. Metallic wings entirely non-mutant in origin.

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: New York City

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History: Kidnapped and forced into service, Archangel somehow retained his free will after Mesmero's brainwashing, but neither he nor Apocalypse noticed. Archangel used this to his advantage by working as an inside agent while he relayed information to his old friends, Callisto and Caliban. It was Archangel who fooled Apocalypse into believing that the infant Proteus was not in the Tibetan village, buying enough time for the X-Men to find the child and keep him away from Apocalypse's grasp.

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Fate: Archangel merged with Proteus.

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Name: Ororo Monroe (Storm, the Horseman of War)

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse (Horsemen, White Army)

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Powers: Capable of sensing and manipulating weather

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Known Relatives: Evan Daniels (nephew)

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Place of Birth: Unclear; may be Africa

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History: Little is known about Storm outside of her involvement with Apocalypse, except that her enslavement had some impact on her nephew, Evan.

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Fate: Before she could hurt the X-Men, Evan launched a bone-spike and impaled her.

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Name: Robert Drake (Iceman, the Horseman of Pestilence)

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse (Horsemen)

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Powers: Capable of creating ice

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Washington, D.C.

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History: Little is known about Iceman outside of his involvement with Apocalypse.

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Fate: Burned and frostbitten at once by his own power and Pyro's fire-control, with aid of Scarlet Witch's hex powers.

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Name: Lance Alvers (Avalanche, the Horseman of Famine)

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse, later an ally of the X-Men

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Powers: Capable of geological manipulation

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Montana, but moved to Northbrook Illinois at a very young age

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History: Lance was taken by Apocalypse fairly early in his life and turned into an unthinking killer, which caused much trauma to his childhood friend Kate Pryde. Eventually, Rogue absorbed the "spark" that kept him under Apocalypse's control, and he used his knowledge to help the X-Men.

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Fate: Lance was crushed by the tower that collapsed under Jean Grey's uncontrolled power.

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Name: Hank McCoy (Beast)

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse

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Powers: Enhanced strength, agility and dexterity

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Deerfield, Illinois

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History: Beast's history is mostly unknown, except that he has been in Apocalypse's service since his release. Beast serves Apocalypse willingly, but it is unknown if Beast is truly evil or if his mind was somehow corrupted by outside forces. Beast developed the advancement technology based on Magneto's enhancing device, which harnessed the power of Cyttorak gems to activate the full potential of mutants. The advancement device takes the process a step further and amplifies their abilities beyond even their own potential, but Beast never had a chance to fully perfect it.

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Fate: Though Beast ran out of his lab on fire after a battle with Pyro, whether he survived or not is unknown, but in any case, this version of him was most likely destroyed when time was shifted back to normal... but you never know.

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Name: Roberto DaCosta (Sunspot)

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse (Black Army General), secretly a traitor and ally of the X-men

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Powers: Capable of absorbing solar energy and converting it into physical strength; further mutation allows him to store large amounts of solar energy for later use (such as nighttime)

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Brazil

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History: Little is known about Sunspot outside of his involvement with Apocalypse, nor is it clear just when he became a co-conspirator of Archangel.

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Fate: Sunspot rushed to save Kate and Lance from the tower that collapsed under Jean Grey's power, but couldn't make it in time and tried to run. He wasn't fast enough and was crushed.

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Name: Amara Aquila (Magma)

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse (White Army General)

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Powers: Capable of generating fire and transforming into a fire-like state; further mutation added strength to her powers as well as a cleaner, hotter fire-transformation

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Brazil

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History: Little is known about Magma outside of his involvement with Apocalypse.

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Fate: When Juggernaut raised a cloud of sand, it melted against her and fused onto her skin, killing her.

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Name: Piotr Rasputin (Colossus)

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse (Blue Army General), secretly a traitor and ally of the X-men

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Powers: Capable of changing skin into organic metal, as well as super-strength; further mutation changed skin into highly durable substance that was neither skin nor metal, though he was no longer capable of transforming between forms

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Russia (former USSR)

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History: Little is known about Colossus outside of his involvement with Apocalypse, nor is it clear just when he became a co-conspirator of Archangel. Colossus is soft-spoken, but philosophical and almost wise.

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Fate: Colossus survived the entire ordeal, but this persona was destroyed when time was shifted back to normal.

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Name: Ray Crisp (Berzerker)

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse

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Powers: Capable of generating electrical blasts

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Unknown

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History: Little is known about Berzerker outside of his involvement with Apocalypse, except that he was under Mesmero's direct control.

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Fate: Though he was injured, Berzerker survived the entire ordeal and snapped out of Mesmero's control, but this persona was destroyed when time was shifted back to normal.

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Name: Mesmero (real name unknown)

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse

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Powers: Capable of mentally controlling others

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Unknown

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History: Mesmero is as mysterious as the rest of Apocalypse's minions, but what is known is that Mesmero was a mutant slaver, taking control of mutants who would not willingly cooperate with Apocalypse and using them as slaves.

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Fate: When Apocalypse saw that his field leader Archangel was a traitor and that he was slowly losing the battle in Egypt, he thought of Mesmero as useless and expendable, and killed him by twisting all of his joints and snapping them in the wrong direction.

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Name: Irene Adler (Destiny)

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse, secretly a traitor and ally of the X-Men

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Powers: Capable of seeing the future

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Unknown

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History: Destiny is an old friend (perhaps something more) of Mystique, though they have not seen each other in years. Scott Darkholme and Quicksilver found her, and she gave them crucial information, against orders from Apocalypse to lie to them.

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Fate: Unknown; it is possible that Apocalypse punished her for her treason.

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The Irish Morlock Estate

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Name: Callisto

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Affiliation: Allied with Apocalypse, secretly a traitor and ally of the X-Men

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Powers: Enhanced senses and agility, as well as night-vision

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Known Relatives: Caliban (husband)

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Place of Birth: Unknown

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History: Callisto's early life is a mystery, but she is wealthy and married to Caliban. Apocalypse offered them protection in exchange for their loyalty and any service they could provide (a move that still puzzles people), but their agreement meant that their protection was nullified the moment humanity was wiped out. Friends of Archangel, Juggernaut and Sabretooth, they worked together to help the X-Men overthrow Apocalypse. Callisto is a natural leader with an insightful mind.

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Fate: In an effort to keep the X-Men from learning any more, Apocalypse stopped Callisto and Caliban's hearts.

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Name: Caliban

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Affiliation: Allied with Apocalypse, secretly a traitor and ally of the X-Men

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Powers: Capable of detecting and tracking mutants

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Known Relatives: Callisto (wife)

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Place of Birth: Unknown

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History: Caliban's early life is a mystery, but he is wealthy and married to Callisto. Apocalypse offered them protection in exchange for their loyalty and any service they could provide (a move that still puzzles people), but their agreement meant that their protection was nullified the moment humanity was wiped out. Friends of Archangel, Juggernaut and Sabretooth, they worked together to help the X-Men overthrow Apocalypse. Caliban is quiet and withdrawn, and prefers to let Callisto lead.

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Fate: In an effort to keep the X-Men from learning any more, Apocalypse stopped Caliban and Callisto's hearts.

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Name: Dr. Cain Marko (Juggernaut)

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Affiliation: Allied with Apocalypse, secretly a traitor and ally of the X-Men

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Powers: Super-strength and near-invulnerability

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: California

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History: Half-brother of the later Charles Xavier, Dr. Marko never settled his grudge against his brother, but eventually became more docile, partly because as Xavier's only living relative, he had his brother to thank for his inherited wealth. Juggernaut is an archaeologist and was once a colleague of Dr. Nathaniel Essex, and together they discovered the secrets of Apocalypse's tomb. Unfortunately, it was Dr. Essex who freed Apocalypse, and Juggernaut worked with Caliban and Callisto to stop him, retaining Dr. Essex's journal, where he had written down everything he discovered about Apocalypse.

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Fate: Juggernaut was electrocuted by Storm.

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Name: Victor Creed (Sabretooth)

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Affiliation: Ally of the X-Men

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Powers: Super-strength, enhanced senses and a healing factor

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Somewhere in Canada

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History: It is unknown just what Sabretooth's involvement with Weapon X was, but he was ultimately a good guy and an ally of Nick Fury and an enemy of the evil Wolverine. Sabretooth was mostly uninvolved in the war against Apocalypse, but he eventually met Caliban and Callisto, who employed him to warn Dr. Trask about Apocalypse's trap. When he failed, he returned, and decided to help them out against Apocalypse.

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Fate: Sabretooth was stabbed in the face by Wolverine and damaged beyond his healing abilities.

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Name: Lucid 

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Affiliation: Servant to Callisto and Caliban, Ally of the X-Men

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Powers: Capable of seeing beyond solid matter

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Unknown

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History: Lucid was a servant of Callisto and Caliban, as well as their pilot.

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Fate: Lucid survived the entire ordeal, but this persona was destroyed when time was shifted back to normal.

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The Street Urchins

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Name: St. John "Johnny" Allerdyce (Pyro)

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Affiliation: Ally of the X-Men

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Powers: Capable of controlling fire, but not producing it

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Somewhere in Australia

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History: Pyro is the son of a writer, who was friends with Magneto. For reasons unknown, Pyro ended up on the streets, where he eventually met Evan Daniels and Tabby. They spent most of their time simply destroying stuff, but when they met Scott Darkholme and Wanda Lehnsherr, they became involved in the war against Apocalypse. After a battle with Iceman, Pyro lost his right hand and was fitted with a flamethrower in its place. Pyro worked with the X-Men to defeat Apocalypse. Though a little odd in the head, Pyro is a good person with a strange sense of humor and a destructive nature. Pyro and Tabby have no actual romantic interest in each other, but nonetheless frequently engage in sexual activity.

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Fate: Pyro survived the entire ordeal, but this persona was destroyed when time was shifted back to normal.

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Name: Evan Daniels 

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Affiliation: Ally of the X-Men

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Powers: Capable of creating bone-spikes and firing them

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Known Relatives: Storm (aunt)

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Place of Birth: New York

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History: Evan Daniels's parents were killed by Apocalypse's human-hunting forces, and he went to live with his aunt Ororo. Unfortunately, she became one of Apocalypse's Horsemen and he was forced to live on the streets. He eventually met Pyro and Tabby, and they spent most of their time simply destroying stuff, but when they met Scott Darkholme and Wanda Lehnsherr, they became involved in the war against Apocalypse. Evan is pessimistic and depressive, and appears to be somewhat jealous of Pyro and Tabby's relationship.

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Fate: After being forced to kill his aunt Storm to save the X-Men, Evan stabbed himself with one of his bone-spikes.

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Name: Tabitha Smith (Tabby)

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Affiliation: Ally of the X-Men, later a servant of Apocalypse

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Powers: Capable of creating tiny spheres of explosive energy as well as time the explosions and control their intensity

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Unknown

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History: Tabby's life is unknown, but at some point she ended up on the streets, where he eventually met Evan Daniels and Pyro. They spent most of their time simply destroying stuff, but when they met Scott Darkholme and Wanda Lehnsherr, they became involved in the war against Apocalypse. Mesmero later took control of Tabby in order to use her against Magneto. Tabby only cares about having a good time, as evidenced by the fact that she and Pyro are sexually active despite having no romantic interest in each other.

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Fate: After being controlled by Tabby, it is assumed that she remained a servant of Apocalypse, but the truth will never be known. If she indeed survived the entire ordeal, this version of her was destroyed either way when time was shifted back to normal.

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Name: Jamie Madrox

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Affiliation: None; working for Callisto and Caliban, and by proxy, Apocalypse

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Powers: Capable of creating exact physical duplicates of himself

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Unknown

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History: Jamie Madrox lived on the streets and frequently encountered Evan Daniels, Pyro, and Tabby. It wasn't until Wanda Lehnsherr joined their group that they let him join, although they kept their eye on him. It turned out that Jamie was a sadist and a killer, despite his age. He was taken by Archangel to Callisto and Caliban, where he used military internet lines to find information on Trask's army for Apocalypse. While doing this, Callisto and Caliban had him use these lines to find other information, which they kept from Apocalypse.

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Fate: Jamie convinced Paul McGregor to go back in time and change history, which he felt was the ultimate way of hurting those involved in the war against Apocalypse. He never lived to see their pain, as this persona was destroyed when time was shifted back to normal.

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The Human Army (The Pure Blood Movement)

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Name: General Bolivar Trask

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Affiliation: Pure Blood Movement

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Powers: None; normal human

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Unknown

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History: Dr. Bolivar Trask was once a member of S.H.I.E.L.D., until he left to become a mutant hunter. It was well-known that Trask was a mutant-hating bigot, but when Apocalypse's forces began to hunt down humans, his old colleagues began to see his way as the right way and joined his anti-mutant crusade. Dr. Trask rallied the remaining members behind him and organized the Pure Blood Movement, a way of gathering human soldiers in his war against mutants. Dr. Trask eventually became General Trask, once the human army was strong enough, and he ordered the production of a Sentinel army, based on his own prototype. At some point during the early life of the Pure Blood Movement, Trask confronted Apocalypse and survived, leaving the battle only with a limp. It never occurred to him that Apocalypse had allowed him to live, nor that his organizing human troops would allow Apocalypse to kill a greater number of humans in less time.

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Fate: Trask survived the entire ordeal, but this persona was destroyed when time was shifted back to normal.

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Name: Colonel Duncan Matthews

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Affiliation: Pure Blood Movement

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Powers: None; normal human

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Unknown

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History: Colonel Matthews was a survive of a human-hunting party, and joined General Trask's movement for revenge. Because of the severe shortage of men, Matthews climbed the ranks quickly, and was placed in charge of the largest Sentinel factory.

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Fate: Duncan survived the entire ordeal, but this persona was destroyed when time was shifted back to normal.

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Name: Webber Torque (Arcade)

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Affiliation: Pure Blood Movement (not enlisted)

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Powers: None; normal human

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Unknown

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History: Arcade was a general tech expert who worked with Trask, specifically by working with Sentinel technology.

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Fate: Arcade survived the entire ordeal, but this persona was destroyed when time was shifted back to normal.

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Name: Captain Nick Fury 

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Affiliation: Pure Blood Movement

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Powers: None; normal human

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Unknown

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History: Nick Fury was once a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. and knew Dr. Trask as the bigot he was, but when Apocalypse's power spread across the world, he saw Trask's point and joined him. Fury has some history with Wolverine and Sabretooth, but it's mostly a mystery.

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Fate: Confronted by Wolverine in battle and stabbed.

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Name: Amanda Sefton (rank unknown)

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Affiliation: Pure Blood Movement

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Powers: None; normal human

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Known Relatives: None

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Place of Birth: Unknown

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History: Amanda Sefton was a member of the Pure Blood Movement with skills as a pilot. Little else is known.

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Fate: Amanda survived the entire ordeal, but this persona was destroyed when time was shifted back to normal.

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Other Characters

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Name: Kevin/young Takla Sharwa (Proteus)

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Affiliation: Taken in by the X-Men, and later adopted by Apocalypse

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Powers: The full extent of Proteus's powers are unknown, but he is capable of draining and creating energy, and to some extent, the manipulation of reality itself

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Known Relatives: Unnamed mother, Apocalypse (adoptive father)

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Place of Birth: Tibet

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History: Apocalypse knew that Takla Sharwa, alias Proteus, would destroy him in the future, and decided to send back Shifter to alter time, and his younger self would take Proteus as his son, rather than an enemy. Apocalypse ordered his Horsemen to destroy the human village in Tibet where the child was born. Archangel left the child behind, claiming that he was not found. The X-Men later found him and took him in, and Magneto asked his old friend Mystique to watch after the child, who she named Kevin. After several battles, Apocalypse finally took the child, and using an alternate version of Shifter, generated enough energy to awaken his dormant powers. As Apocalypse had known the original Proteus to be a worthy adversary, he honored him by naming the child Proteus.

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Fate: Proteus's final fate remains unclear; it is believed that he was elevated into a different form of existance after draining the energy of Apocalypse. Some believe that he may have even survived the altering of history through his reality-warping abilities, but the truth may never be known.

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Name: Takla Sharwa (Proteus)

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Affiliation: The X-Men

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Powers: The full extent of Proteus's powers are unknown, but he is capable of draining and creating energy, and to some extent, the manipulation of reality itself

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Known Relatives: Unnamed mother

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Place of Birth: Tibet

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History: In the original timeline, the war against Apocalypse forced Professor Xavier and Magneto to join forces. They recruited several new mutants when their original students were killed. Takla Sharwa, a Tibetan mutant, was among those recruited by Professor Xavier. He came to see Xavier as a mentor and father-figure, and when Apocalypse caused Xavier's death, Takla was enraged and attacked Apocalypse head-on. Though Apocalypse survived, he went into hiding, fearing Takla's power. Ironically, Takla abandoned Xavier's ideas in his quest for revenge and took the name Proteus, dedicating himself to finding Apocalypse and destroying him. Before he could, Apocalypse sent Shifter back in time to kill Professor Xavier and Magneto, who he saw as the source of his problems, and to tell his younger self about Proteus, so that he could be taken as an ally.

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Fate: Though Proteus's persona was destroyed when Shifter altered history, it is unknown if the restored timeline will see this version of Proteus appear, or if he will take a new path in life.

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Name: Private Paul McGregor (young Shifter)

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Affiliation: Pure Blood Movement, later an ally of the X-Men

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Powers: Capable of moving through time and space; essentially teleportation and time-travel

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Known Relatives: "old" Shifter (time-displaced alternate self), the original Shifter (alternate, older self)

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Place of Birth: Somewhere in England

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History: Private McGregor was originally a member of Trask's army, and even had the important job of delivering the long-missing XT Sentinel plans to Trask. A random blood test revealed that McGregor was a mutant, though his powers had yet to truly manifest and he was completely unaware. Ironically, he became to first test subject for the XT Sentinel, but his powers were activated before he could be killed, and Trask mistook his disappearance for death. He was trapped in an interdimensional void until an alternate version of him, called Shifter, found him and explained his powers and history to him... it turned out that in the original timeline, McGregor was the original Shifter, a servant of Apocalypse who went back in time to kill Professor Xavier. McGregor trusted Shifter, who was himself a servant of Apocalypse, but he was ultimately betrayed.

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Fate: McGregor survived the entire ordeal and went through time to stop his older self from killing Professor Xavier. It is unknown if this version of McGregor is still alive somewhere, or if his time-travel may have somehow cancelled out his existance.

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Name: Shifter (no real name)

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse, made a deal with Archangel and his rebels, but was ultimately loyal to Apocalypse

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Powers: Capable of moving through time and space; essentially teleportation and time-travel

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Known Relatives: The original Shifter (time-displaced alternate self), Paul McGregor (time-displaced alternate younger self)

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Place of Birth: Unknown

****

History: In the original timeline, Shifter was Paul McGregor, a servant of Apocalypse who went back in time to kill Professor Xavier. His time-travel caused a distortion of reality, and one of the after-effects was the birth of an alternate Shifter who retained all of the original's memories. Due to a poor lifestyle, this Shifter was thin and sickly, but due to his memories he was loyal to Apocalypse. It was Shifter who told both Apocalypse and the rebels everything (but just what deal Archangel and Shifter had made remains a mystery). Part of his job was to retrieve the younger McGregor, and he gained his trust; however, he tricked him. McGregor's powers allowed him to generate enough energy to activate the dormant abilities of the infant Proteus. 

****

Fate: Apocalypse already knew everything he needed to know, and as McGregor was not yet strong enough to generate the desired energy, he instead forced Shifter to give his life-energy to Proteus, sparing McGregor for later use.

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Name: The Original Paul McGregor (Shifter)

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse

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Powers: Capable of moving through time and space; essentially teleportation and time-travel

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Known Relatives: Shifter (time-displaced alternate self), Paul McGregor (younger self)

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Place of Birth: Somewhere in England

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History: In the original timeline, Shifter was Paul McGregor, a servant of Apocalypse who went back in time and killed Professor Xavier using unmetal bullets. Magneto was unable to stop the bullets, but managed to kill Shifter. 

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Fate: Magneto drove a metal pin through his heart in an attempt to stop him from killing Xavier, but he was too late.

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Random Cameos

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Name: The Silver Samurai

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse

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Powers: Capable of focusing energy into a single point, usually his katana

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Seen: Chapter 11 (Takla Sharwa), referred to as "the Samurai."

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Fate: Thrown into a crowd of mutants by Juggernaut; whether or not he survived is unknown.

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Name: Gauntlet

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse

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Powers: Enhanced senses and strength

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Seen: Chapter 11 (Takla Sharwa), referred to as "green mutant with a red monocle."

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Fate: Slashed in the face by Sabretooth; whether or not he survived is unknown.

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Name: Baraka (?!)

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse

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Powers: Capable of extending two sword-like blades from his forearms

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Seen: Chapter 11 (Takla Sharwa), referred to as "sharp-toothed mutant."

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Fate: Shot down by Sentinels.

Yeah, I know he's not actually an X-Men character, but I had been going through my old SNES games when I was writing and decided to throw him in.

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Name: Banshee

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse

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Powers: Capable of screaming with damaging force

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Seen: Chapter 11 (Takla Sharwa), "Another mutant stepped forward and screamed. Everyone... covered their ears."

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Fate: Killed when Evan fired a bone-spike into his throat.

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Name: Psylocke

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse

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Powers: Capable of creating a "psychic knife" as well as standard telepathy

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Seen: Chapter 11 (Takla Sharwa), referred to as "An Asian mutant."

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Fate: Knocked into a crowd of mutants by Forge; whether or not she survived is unknown.

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Name: Thunderbird

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse

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Powers: Enhanced strength

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Seen: Chapter 11 (Takla Sharwa), referred to as "a large mutant with red face-paint and... a red eagle painted onto his chest armor."

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Fate: After strangling Forge, he is shot by the XT Sentinel.

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Name: Mr. Sinister

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Affiliation: Servant of Apocalypse

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Powers: Enhanced strength

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Seen: Chapter 7 (Scott's Mission and the Hunt), referred to as "Dr. Nathaniel Essex." His journal provides useful information for the X-Men.

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Fate: Killed by Apocalypse upon his release.


End file.
